Beyond Participation: How Policy Synergy Between Family Policy and Flexitime Shapes Women’s Well-Being and Workforce Inclusion

• In Event: 50609 - Gender Inequality in Work and Family Life

Abstract

Gender disparities in labor force participation and mental health persist, yet existing frameworks overlook policy synergy—the interaction between family policy and labor market flexibility—in shaping economic and psychological well-being. This study introduces the Life Course Synergy Model (LCSM) to examine how institutional arrangements impact women’s workforce inclusion and mental health. Using a longitudinal fixed-effects design across 17 European countries (n = 32,249 working adults; 5,128 parents), we assess whether flexitime and family policy together reduce the gender gap in depression and boost full-time employment among women, particularly mothers.
Findings show that flexitime alone fully explains the gender gap in depression, while family policy alone has a limited effect. However, for mothers, policy synergy is key: high levels of both flexitime and family policy increase full-time employment as household income rises while also equalizing mental health outcomes across socioeconomic groups. This suggests that mental health itself may be a key determinant of women’s labor market attachment. These findings challenge single-policy approaches, showing that support and flexibility must work together to enhance both labor market attachment and well-being. By linking labor market flexibility and family policy to employment and mental health outcomes, this study demonstrates that integrated institutional designs addressing both economic and psychological well-being are essential to achieving gender equality.

Author

• Matthew James Parbst, Bocconi University