The reconciliation of work and personal life remains a global challenge for gender equality with important consequences for women’s employment, family and personal outcomes. Using data from the European Social Survey, this study examines perceived work–life conflict (WLC) in 21 EU countries comparing 2010 with 2020. In the first part, the descriptive analysis shows an increase in the average WLC over the time period. The absolute increase is larger for women compared to men, and parents exhibit a higher level of WLC than non-parents in both time points, illustrating a persistent struggle to reconcile work and family. Building on the framework of job demands and resources, three perspectives that could potentially account for changes in WLC are analysed: (1) work intensity, (2) non-standard employment and (3) work empowerment. Applying a series of regression estimations, the analysis leads to the rejection of each of the three. The second part examines alternative aspects using 2020 cross-sectional data. Manager and collegial support are found to be associated with lower WLC. Digital communication with the line manager and expectation to be responsive outside working hours are associated with higher WLC. The results suggest a need for a holistic understanding of job resources and demands that shape WLC of the EU working population today, in the mid-2020s, including meta-level factors such as workplace culture and digital communication in addition to broader labour-market trends. The results contribute to policy discussions and workplace developments with a view to WLC and broader well-being from a cross-national perspective.

NURMINEN Minna; 

2026-08-24

POLICY PRESS

JRC140788

2752-3349 (online),   

https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/gsc/view/journals/gscj/5/2/article-p223.xml,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC140788,   

10.1332/27523349Y2025D000000059 (online),