American history books are lined with narratives that revel over our ingenuity. We were the first in flight, first to mass produce automobiles, and the first to land on the moon. We braved westward expansion, we stormed through the Industrial Revolution, we conquered transcontinental railroad and roadway systems, and we built skyscrapers, canals, and communication systems. With every invention came new means and desires to do things bigger, better, and faster, and with that desire came lots and lots of work. No wonder America's work culture has evolved to one that insists on working feverously, driven by our always open 24/7 love affair with convenience and economic productivity. Just look at what is happening on Thanksgiving Day, where more and more stores are opening earlier and earlier on a day that use to be reserved for the family. With that said, there are growing signs that America's new economies increasing work demands, and fixation with climbing the latter of success, is steering workers to choose their jobs over their family, leading them to unhealthy and less fulfilling lifestyles. Numerous research has shown that work-life conflict can negatively affect job satisfaction, physical and psychological health, and organizational psychology; these findings should encourage organizations, or even state or federal governments, to establish policies that negate work-life conflict. 

Even though work-life conflict is a rather subjective concept, Amy Wharton and Mary Blair-Loy simply define work-family conflict as a situation, in which "the demands of the work interfere with fulfilling family responsibilities" (417). "Work-life balance has always been a concern of those interested in the quality of working life and its relation to broader quality of life" (Guest 256). Organizational psychologists explore the relationship between work and family domains in order to make sense of the correlation and consequences that can follow when both interact with one another. They have determined several traditional models to explain how work can deflect into family life. Some main models are the segmentation model, spillover model, and conflict model. David E. Guest explains the segmentation model, which hypothesizes that work and non-work are two distinct domains that have no influence on each other, while, in contrast, the spillover model theorizes that one domain can influence the others in either a positive or negative way. The conflict model, which has gained recent interest in dual-career family research, proposes that with high demand levels in all domains of life, difficult choices have to be made that may lead to conflict or significant overload (258-59). Contemporary work-life debates in organizational psychology continue "because in affluent societies the excessive demands of work are perceived to present a distinctive issue that needs to be addressed" (Guest 256). Organizational psychologists identify three overlapping influences that have brought work-life balance policy reform to the forefront. They include "developments at work that might be seen as causing the problem of work-life imbalance  ...  life outside work that might be viewed as consequences of work-life imbalance, and  ...  individuals and their lives outside work that give rise to the need to address the challenge of work-life balance" (Guest 256).

Throughout the years the U.S. working demographics have changed dramatically, which has carried over to familial relationships, causing some of the traditional models, such as the segmentation model, to be less applicable. For instance, look at the rise of working mothers with children under the age of 18 that rose from 46.3% in 1975 to 70.3% in 2013 ("Mothers and Fathers"). Additionally, consider Pew's analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau that "found that 40% of households with children under the age of 18 include single mothers who provide the sole or primary source of income for the family" ("Single Mom"). Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that "both the husband and wife were employed in 47.7 % of married-couple families in 2014" ("Employment"). Although work and family are considered separate domains, where a person's role alternates between family member and employee, it's important to understand how work is interfering with social life outside of the workplace, changing the connection among family members. "The pressures and demands of work, reflected in longer hours, more exhaustion and the growth of evening and week-end work, leave less scope for quality family time" (Guest 257). These pressures have intensified in recent decades with advances in information technology, the need for speedy responses, the importance of quality customer service and  its implications for 24/7 availability, and the pace of change that results in upheavals and/or adjustments.

Research has focused on many predictors of work-family conflict, including demands, resources, and accommodations of employment, but the number of hours worked is the most significant indicator correlated with the amount of work-family conflict experienced at home. As Robert B. Reich points out, "Paid work is becoming far more intrusive on the rest of our lives" (57). Time dedicated to family responsibilities depends mainly on the amount of hours that workers work. Wharton and Blair-Loy contend, "Managers and professionals have seen increased working hours during the past 25 years. Employers demand that they demonstrate commitment by making work the central focus of their lives. Moreover, increased competition and declining job security linked to globalization may be contributing to long hours" (416). Although work may provide tangible benefits and psychological fulfillment, such as self-worth or dignity, "others are physically drained from working longer hours because they feel obliged or compelled to give more energy, emotional labor, or 'more of themselves' to their paid work activities" (Gambles, Lewis, and Rapoport 51).  

Consequences as a result of increased work hours can be physical and/or 

psychological, dependent on the worker's demands and circumstances. Health-related problems, such as stress, depression, and sleeplessness, job dissatisfaction, and lower psychological well-being have been linked to work-family conflict. A less fulfilling lifestyle and marital discord are likely to arise when individuals are committed to both domains and try to combine work with  family roles. A study found that work-family conflict was "positively related to psychological distress, which is related both directly and indirectly to marital outcomes through marital interactions, e.g., greater hostility, less warmth, and supportiveness" (Fredriksen-Goldsen and Scharlach 57). Work overload and pressure has also been linked with withdrawal, anger, and  

 arguments at home. In a study conducted by Googins, results showed that "almost 35% of parents ... feel emotionally drained when they get home from work" (134).  Furthermore, "parents' work experience and career values influence children's health and welfare in significant ways. For instance, kids whose parents are more focused on career than on family have more behavior problems and do worse in school ... These parents are less psychologically available to focus on their children" (Friedman and Greenhaus 6-7). Loneliness and family disconnection may enter the lives of individuals who work excessively, which can lead to depression and conflict with family members (Gambles, Lewis, and Rapoport 64). Additionally, a report by James E. Gangwisch summarizes a study of over 68,000 participants on the relationship between work-time control and sleep disturbances. It found an association between work-life conflict and sleep deprivation, which include negative unintended consequences, such as fatigue and stress caused by sleep quality and sleepiness (1159). 

These trends show that it is important for researchers, scholars, the business community, and politicians find ways to alleviate work-family conflict in order for both the work and family domains to be more compatible and less distressing for working Americans and their children. Some organizations have found solutions in flexible work arrangements. Liberal or flexible leave policies can be helpful to parents that have an urgent family obligations and need time off from work to attend to them (Fredriksen-Goldsen and Scharlach 170). Part-time work may be another option for overworked employees that need time off to tend to family members or household obligations. Flexible scheduling offers workers the freedom to vary their starting and ending work times in order to fulfill other familial obligations at more convenient times. Fredriksen-Goldsen and Scharlach, who termed this process as "flex-time," pointed out three schedule sets that can be enforced:  fixed flex-time, where workers begin work at a predetermined time each day; a compressed work week, where workers are given the option of working 40 hours in less than five days; and gliding time, where workers can adjust their hours as needed (172). Additionally, alternative work locations can be favorable to parents who would rather work at home, versus an office, in order to be close to family members or children, which can establish better family connections and lessen stress. 

 Other solutions include social resources and programs, such as counseling for workers that have problems with balancing familial and work domains. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an example of a program that is offered by companies for such purposes (Fredriksen-Goldsen and Scharlach 178). The EAP can help to reduce psychological strain; furthermore, it can give advice on how to tend to work demands and family obligations without neglecting one or the other. Surveys have indicated an 83% satisfaction rating, citing that individuals find this method helpful in their lives (Fredriksen-Goldsen and Scharlach 105). 

Support groups are used to aid in work-family conflict and afford an avenue for people to converse with others who are experiencing the same work-family imbalance. Support groups are intended to "provide an opportunity for employees with similar family-care situations to share concerns, discuss common problems, exchange useful information, and receive emotional support" (Fredriksen-Goldsen and Scharlach 179). Also, on-site child day-care is another solution that employers can provide in order to lesson stress by alleviating extra time for drop-off and pick-up at other child care facilities. Furthermore, it allows parents the ability to visit their children throughout the day.

Driven by economic growth, employees, employers, and the political environment are the most significant opposition to the concept of work-life conflict/balance. For example, in The Myth of Work-Life Balance: The Challenge of Our Time for Men, Women, and Societies, the authors discuss a study that reveals how the business world and Governments place economic competitiveness, profits, and short term efficiency gains over social issues or human dignity (1). The U.S. has unsuccessfully kept up with other countries work policies and practices. For example, "at least 134 countries have laws setting the maximum length of the work week; the U.S. does not. Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers" (Miller).  Additionally, the U.S. has no federal laws requiring paid sick days and is the only industrialized country in the world that has no legally mandated annual leave. This behavior has festered due to the decline of the unions, which has led to less paid time off and other leave benefits; our cultural value of money that extends over everything else; our legislative branch, which shies away from passing laws that protect workers; and how we generally don't fight for our working rights, we take what is given to us (Miller).

Furthermore, it is difficult to change policies that support work-life balance when political figures spout off haphazardly as Jeb Bush did during his presidential campaign when he stated, "Workforce participation has to rise from its all-time modern lows. It means that people need to work longer hours and through their productivity gain more income for their families. That's the only way we are going to get out of this rut that we're in" (Isidore and Luhby). This comment is indicative of the U.S. laissez faire attitude towards the issue of work-life balance, but can easily be countered by available polling and research data.  For example, a recent Gallop poll reflects that U.S. "adults employed full time report working an average of 47 hours per week, which equates to nearly six days a week  ...  That's about an hour and a half more than they reported a decade ago. [Furthermore,] nearly four in 10 workers report logging 50+ hours on the job" (Isidore and Luhby). 

Another opposition relates to organizations' flexible work policies, which were encouraged by President Obama during the White House Summit on Working Families. Even though "employees love workplace flexibility, and employers should, too, since it's linked with increased productivity and higher job satisfaction  ...  new behavioral evidence suggests that some bosses will harbor biases against employees with flexible work schedules without even realizing it" (Jaffe). It seems that "changing the rules doesn't change employer perceptions, and employees who arrive late to work tend to have a bad reputation -- even if they perform just as well in their job" (Jaffe). Additionally, "How Flexible Hours Can Harm Employees As Much As It Helps Them," claims that "while 81% of organizations allow some employees to periodically have flexible start and stop times, only 27% allow most or all employees to do so" (Jaffe).

Work and family are central to the lives of most Americans, yet over the years we have developed into an always on, always open work culture that is becoming more and more demanding for both women and men. The number of hours worked is the most significant indicator correlated with the amount of work-family conflict experienced. Paid work is becoming extremely intrusive, leading us to unhealthy and less fulfilling lifestyles with physical and psychological consequences. Economic demands, technological transformation, and our materialistic culture are bound to continue to make work more demanding. These trends show that it is important that researchers, scholars, and the business community find ways to alleviate work-family conflict in order for both the work and family domains to be more compatible. So when will the U.S. draw the line and finally push for laws, policies, and programs that will assist in easing the work-family conflict; or is this the new norm?

