Final answer:
The impact of overload and spillover between work and family life is usually a negative one on work-life balance, due to conflict, work overload, and time management issues. Supportive workplace policies and practical support from home can alleviate some of this conflict. However, gender stratification adds a layer of stress, especially for women, resulting in greater work-family conflict.
Step-by-step explanation:
The impact of overload and spillover between work and family life is typically negative on work-life balance. Work-family balance is crucial as it involves managing the demands of work life with family obligations. Work overload, time conflicts, and strain from each domain make it challenging to fulfill obligations in the other, leading to work-family conflict, one of the central issues affecting employee well-being.
Research indicates that supportive workplace policies, such as flextime, telecommuting, and family-oriented benefits, play a significant role in reducing work-family conflict. For instance, immediate-supervisor support and practical support from home can help manage this conflict by providing employees with more flexibility to address their responsibilities. Nevertheless, women often experience higher stress levels due to gender stratification that leads to unequal domestic responsibilities, potentially increasing work-family conflict for them.
Therefore, it's essential for both individuals and organizations to take active measures to promote a healthy work-life balance and reshape workplace culture to support this. This may include implementing flexible work arrangements, ensuring fair division of domestic tasks among genders, and fostering a supportive environment that acknowledges the diverse needs of workers.