Capabilities to Combine Work and Family in the Netherlands: Challenging or Reinforcing the One-and-a-half Earner Model?

Abstract

n this article, we assess the extent to which national-level work-family policies in the Netherlands enable vari -ous groups of working parents (men versus women, low versus highly educated, and dependent employees ver-sus self-employed to combine work and care. We answer this question by conducting a policy analysis using Sens (1992 capability framework. Applying this perspective, we evaluate the availability, accessibility and de-sign 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 pol-icy 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 oen use this flexibility to work more rather than recon-cile 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.