Work and family: A gender issue and more for labour lawyers

Abstract

The issue of 'work-family conflict' commands widespread academic and popular interest. The Prime Minister once called it a 'barbecue stopper', the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has recently undertaken and reported on national consultations in this area, and every corporation that cares about its reputation professes to have 'family-friendly' employment policies. So, it is unsurprising that a work-family lens is gaining prominence in the field of labour law studies too. But what can labour law scholars bring to this field? And how does it benefit labour lawyers to consider the work-family debate? Offering some thoughtful responses to these and related questions are two books published in 2005: Jill Murray (Ed), Work, Family and the Law, and Joanne Conaghan and Kerry Rittich (Eds), Labour Law, Work, and Family.