2016 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 180-192
In this article, we assess the extent to which national-level work-family policies in the Netherlands enable various groups of working parents (men versus women, low versus highly educated, and dependent employees versus self-employed) to combine work and care. We answer this question by conducting a policy analysis using Sen’s (1992) capability framework. Applying this perspective, we evaluate the availability, accessibility and design of work-family policies in the Netherlands. Moreover, we consider the importance of collective agreements and the organizational context. Our analysis shows that current work-family policies and collective agreements in the Netherlands offer certain groups greater capabilities to reconcile work and care than others. Childcare policy offers less accessibility for the self-employed and flexible work arrangements enable women more than men to take on care tasks and work part-time. In addition, higher educated individuals have greater access to flexible work arrangements than lower-educated workers, but often use this flexibility to work more rather than reconcile work with care. Moreover, current care leave policies enforce rather than challenge existing socio-cultural norms, and alternatives to the one-and-a-half earner model remain limited.
