Family-friendly measures and flexible working arrangements in the public service : a male perspective

Abstract

Family-friendly measures and flexible working arrangements are often promoted as opportunity tools for gender equality in the labour market. They prima facie help diminish traditional gender roles by encouraging men to actively contribute towards family care, while giving women a better opportunity to contribute to a richer labour market. In addition, irrespective of gender, family-friendly measures make it possible to flexibly adapt to desirable employment options, in what is known as a work-life balance. In consequence, a healthy work-life balance aims to achieve an enhanced wellbeing and self-actualization of the beholder of occupational family-friendly measures. Considering that the public sector employs 25.4% of the Maltese labour force (NSO, 2020), and offers high-quality work-life balance opportunities; this study attempts to find answers to why men partake in Family-Work-Life Balance opportunities, and to question whether family-supporting working arrangements are effectively remodelling the Maltese gender-based family care culture within the public service context. Consequently, this study finds that family-friendly measures are rather accessible to men; they help narrow the gender-family responsibility gap; improve employee and family wellbeing; but are however not enough to culturally change the “gendered politics of the household” (Sullivan & Lewis, 2001 p.1). As a result, this study suggests ways that may help drive gender-family culture change in line with Maltese and EU gender equality strategies.