National Coming Out Day
Did you know today is National Coming Out Day?
October Study of the Month
The “Study of the Month”
column features LGBTA-related research studies conducted by members of SIOP. If you are
interested in having your research
highlighted, please contact Nicholas Salter at nsalter@ramapo.edu.
True work-family balance is a goal that many organizations strive to achieve for the benefit of their employees. Traditionally, work-family conflict has been measured by examining time-based conflict (“I don’t have enough hours in the day for work and family), strain-based conflict (“my job or my family are too stressful”), and behavior-based conflict (“behaviors that make me successful at work don’t make me successful at home (or vice versa)”). Many organizations provide flexible scheduling, opportunities for telecommuting, virtual office space, and services such as on-site childcare, laundry services, and fitness facilities in order to decrease conflicts between work and
family domains. However, while employees in general might benefit from these services, LGBT employees in particular may have additional work-family concerns which are not currently being addressed by employers.
In a recent study, 41 LGB individuals who were currently in a same-sex relationship, representing a variety of industries and job levels, were interviewed about their experiences of work-family conflict. Nearly half (46.43%) of the sample mentioned LGB identity-related concerns (in addition to time, strain, and behavior-based concerns) playing a role in creating work-family conflict for themselves and their partner/children. For example, among many other concerns, LGB employees were concerned about having equal access to family-friendly benefits (or being able to ask about how to receive them), with being able to talk about their partner/children at work with coworkers and with being able to bring their partner to work events. Further, LGB individuals were concerned about being able to talk about their partner/children with clients/customers/students and with losing their job or being passed over for promotion if anyone found out about their same-sex partner. Using traditional measures of work-family conflict, LGB individuals were found to experience time, strain, and behavior-based concerns at similar levels to a general population. Overall, this study hopes to encourage organizations to strive for a more inclusive form of work-family balance, by raising awareness about additional identity-related work-family concerns which may be experienced by LGB individuals. This study demonstrates that, in order to create a welcoming and productive environment, it may be important for organizations to put LGB family–friendly initiatives into current work-family balance programs.
This study was presented at the annual Academy of Management conference in August of 2012 by Katina Sawyer. For more information, please contact Katina Sawyer at katina.sawyer@villanova.edu
True work-family balance is a goal that many organizations strive to achieve for the benefit of their employees. Traditionally, work-family conflict has been measured by examining time-based conflict (“I don’t have enough hours in the day for work and family), strain-based conflict (“my job or my family are too stressful”), and behavior-based conflict (“behaviors that make me successful at work don’t make me successful at home (or vice versa)”). Many organizations provide flexible scheduling, opportunities for telecommuting, virtual office space, and services such as on-site childcare, laundry services, and fitness facilities in order to decrease conflicts between work and
family domains. However, while employees in general might benefit from these services, LGBT employees in particular may have additional work-family concerns which are not currently being addressed by employers.
In a recent study, 41 LGB individuals who were currently in a same-sex relationship, representing a variety of industries and job levels, were interviewed about their experiences of work-family conflict. Nearly half (46.43%) of the sample mentioned LGB identity-related concerns (in addition to time, strain, and behavior-based concerns) playing a role in creating work-family conflict for themselves and their partner/children. For example, among many other concerns, LGB employees were concerned about having equal access to family-friendly benefits (or being able to ask about how to receive them), with being able to talk about their partner/children at work with coworkers and with being able to bring their partner to work events. Further, LGB individuals were concerned about being able to talk about their partner/children with clients/customers/students and with losing their job or being passed over for promotion if anyone found out about their same-sex partner. Using traditional measures of work-family conflict, LGB individuals were found to experience time, strain, and behavior-based concerns at similar levels to a general population. Overall, this study hopes to encourage organizations to strive for a more inclusive form of work-family balance, by raising awareness about additional identity-related work-family concerns which may be experienced by LGB individuals. This study demonstrates that, in order to create a welcoming and productive environment, it may be important for organizations to put LGB family–friendly initiatives into current work-family balance programs.
This study was presented at the annual Academy of Management conference in August of 2012 by Katina Sawyer. For more information, please contact Katina Sawyer at katina.sawyer@villanova.edu
SIOP Logo Submissions
SIOP Logo Submissions
Submitted by D. Kemp
Submitted by D. Schwartz
Submitted by J. Waldrup
Voting on a web logo
Greeting SIOPers!
The SIOP LGBT committee is expanding into social media as a way to keep connected with our members. With all the new online offerings we will have (e.g. MySIOP, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) we need a logo to brand us. Three of our members have submitted options. Please take a look and vote on you favorite one on our SIOP LGBT Discussion Group on Facebook
Thanks everybody!
Danny Gandara