The foundations of the major federal policies that govern today’s workplace were put in place
during the 1930s, when most families had a stay-at-home caregiver who could tend to the needs
of children, the aged, and the sick. Seven decades later, many of the nation’s workplace policies
are in need of major updates to reflect the realities of the modern workforce. American workers, for example, typically have little or no control over their work hours and schedules; few
have a right to job-protected access to paid leave to care for a family member.
Heather Boushey examines three types of work-family policies that affect work-family conflict
and that are in serious need of repair—those that govern hours worked and workplace equity,
those that affect the ability of workers to take time off from work because their families need
care, and those that govern the outsourcing of family care when necessary. In each case Boushey
surveys new programs currently on the policy agenda, assesses their effectiveness, and considers the extent to which they can be used as models for a broader federal program