The paper focuses on work- life balance scenario in the Indian perspective keeping in mind the conflicts and challenges working women face. Organizations in emerging Indian economy play a pivotal role to providing better balance to the lives of working women between work and non-work domains. Support provided by organizations won’t be so effective unless husbands play their part as a support pillar to these working ladies. More studies are required to highlight the caring and empathetic role of these millennial young husbands and fathers. These men make a balance between old socio cultural mindset and progressive gender-neutral attitude. These responsible and caring dads of today would raise equally empathetic dads for tomorrow.
KEYWORDS: Work-Life Balance, Work-Family Conflict, Family-Work Enrichment, Spillover, Crossover.
Introduction Human is a social animal. In a life spell we play variety of roles. A child, sibling, cousin, friend, spouse, parent, relative, peer, superior, subordinate, citizen and what not (Mohanty &Jena, 2016). Everyone must play each role and relation with full perfection maintaining complete balance in one’s own life and others too. This is work-life balance (WLB). Researchers define it as a skill to enjoy both work and family roles. At work it’s important to be efficient and competitive while at the same time relish quality time with loved ones, family and friends (Cruz, 2017).Some can manage to play while others may face some challenges.
In changing socioeconomically trends percentage of Indian women contributing in financial wellbeing of families is ever increasing (Rastogi etal., 2017). With increase in working couples, single parents (Bhalla & Kang, 2018) due to divorces, and nuclear families the role of woman has gradually modified from homemaker to career woman (Batra & Reio,2016)who is ready to face dual responsibilities. But it is always easier said than done. India though is going through a socio cultural transition but deep roots of traditional mindset which sees women in kitchen doing household chores (Munn & Chaudhuri, 2015) would take time to get uprooted completely. Women in India, day in day out are trying to prove their mettle as perfect wives, daughters-in-law, mothers and promising professionals. With all these daily adventures how difficult it is to balance so many roles.
Surveys across the world show concern upon deteriorating WLB worldwide due to long work hours. Organizations too have realized effects of these conflict on the on-the-job performances and started adopting WLB policies (Kumarasamyetal.,2016) that would make both work and life easy, relaxed, and fun for the employees especially for these career women (Halinski etal., 2018). But one can never underestimate the support extended by family especially by better halves. In fact, supportive organizational culture would make family life better and happy family space would certainly make work fun and not a burden (Jain and Nair, 2017).
