Work-life balance for parents with low incomes.

Work-life balance is an important aspect of individual, family, business and community well-being. This study was undertaken to reveal the subjective experiences of work-life balance for parents from two-parent families with low incomes. There is little existing research regarding work-life balance for this population. Considering that illness and disability are correlated with low income, this is a significant gap in the literature. This study reveals that parents with low incomes share many of the work-life balance concerns and resources of parents with middle and upper incomes. However, there are differences including the impact of distinct child-rearing practices and the importance of community service organization. This study also yielded information not presented in the literature. For example, this study suggests that opportunities for outdoor activities may be an important work-life balance factor for parents with low incomes. Perhaps this is more related to the fact that the majority of the research participants were First Nations. However, participants also discussed the significance of the schedule and routine provided by paid work and this may be a variable that is important for all parents. The study findings suggest a variety of research directions and it appears that all research must address gender expectations and the high priority given work over other domains of life.--P.ii.