Fairlee E. Winfield

The long-held notion of home and work as separate worlds is under heavy assault and is weakening under the pressure of a two-gender workforce. Today, management has begun to acknowledge the close connection between work and family. At present, the work and family relationship can be frustrating, perplexing, stressful, and sometimes painful because of the change involved.

Proof of the rapid changes taking place exists in the new language of human resource management. Corporate directors speak of "family-issues management" as a key
strategic issue for the remainder of this century. "Eldercare," "flexi-time," "spouse employment assistance," "voucher plan," and "parental leave," are only a few of the terms that have been added to the human resources manager’s vocabulary in the past decade. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) have expanded their focus from job-based alcoholism programs to include the stresses that employees bring with them to work; unions are becoming concerned as well with the "marginal workforce."

Human resources professionals recognize that the work and family relationship involves far more than child care needs. They know that reconciling work and family responsibilities is not simply a "women’s issue," a "dual-career issue," or a "working parents issue."
Reconciling work and family issues affects all workers, young and old, single and married, with and without children. The area of work and family is so specialized that consultants in the field have their own "advisory boards" of tax experts, accountants, and organizational development specialists.