Sport Management Review, 2006,9,79%103

O 2006 SMAANZ

Retaining Quality Workers: A Case Study of

Work-Family Confllct
Marlene A. Dixon
The University of Texas at Austin

Jennifer E. Bruening
University of Connecticut

KEY WORDS: work-family balance, organisational behaviour,

organisational policy, case analysis

Teaching Note
Historically, managers have maintained a rigid wall of separation between the
work sphere and the family sphere, considering committed employees to be those
who spend the most quantifiable time in the office and who put priority on work
rather than non-work responsibilities (Rapoport, Bailyn, Fletcher, & Pruitt, 2002).
As modern day managers aim to optimise organisational success as well as that
of individual employees, they are faced with addressing the family obligations of
those employees with more frequency than ever before. In fact, recent studies found
that 32% of employees report work-family balance as their leading job concern
(Armour, 2002).
In the past few years around the globe much attention has been given in
academic and popular press to the subject of work-family balance. Recent articles
in the New York Emes and Wall Street Journal point to a growing concern in
maintaining that balance and to parallel concern over the qualified, capable women
leaving the workforce (Hewlett & Luce, 2005). In a comprehensive study from the
United States involving over 2,400 women aged 28-55, Hewlett and Luce (2005)

Marlene Dixon is with the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University
of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station #D3700, Austin, Texas 78712, USA. Jennifer
Bruening is with the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut. Email for
Marlene Dixon: madixon@mail.utexas.edu
80 Dixon & Bruening

determined that forty-three percent of women with children have voluntarily left
work at some point in their careers. On average, women leave the workforce for
only 2.2 years and ninety-three percent intend to return, but makmg that choice
has significant implications on both career advancement and on continuity and
performance in the workplace. Spector et al. (2004) reported similar patterns in
China and Latin America.
Within sport management, the trend is similar across countries. Acosta and
Carpenter (2004) have reported perpetual decreases in the numbers and percentages
of female coaches in the United States. In major professional sport in the United
States, Sport Business Journal b "Top 40 under 40" list has included only three
women over the past two years, indicating a lack of women reaching such leadership
positions. In order to achieve the goal of more women coaches in Canadian sport,
the Coaching Association of Canada has initiated a number of efforts aimed at
helping members learn to balance work and family (Mercier, 2000). Chalip (1978)
addressed the problems of retaining swimming coaches in New Zealand due to
work-family conflict. Foley and McGillivray (2000) documented the struggles of
female executives in the British leisure industry, pointing out how the structure and
nature of the industry places work-time ahead of family and leisure-time. Kay (2003)
addressed a number of concerns within the European Union, with the continuing rise
in the number of females in the labour market.
Clearly, understanding and forming policy around the issue of work-
family balance is an eminent concern for sport managers around the world. How
can sport organisations retain quality male and female employees in the face of
work and family needs? How can sport organisations create and adapt formal
and informal policies and cultures that allow employees to balance competing
demands and maintain productivity in the workforce? A recent Harris Interactive
Study commissioned by Dell Inc. suggested that women were highly committed to
organisations that provided them with flexibility in work-family situations. Ethel
Batten, Vice President for Staffing and Diversity at Lucent Technologies, expressed
the overall concern in this way, "How do we invest in that group (women) so when
they come out of that temporary situation, they'll be loyal to the company and work
hard for it?'(Zehr, 2005, D l )
The purpose of this case is to investigate work-family balance from an
individual and an organisational perspective (cf. Dixon & Bruening, 2005). While
the context of this particular case is University sport, the situation can easily be
adapted to a multitude of settings. Many sport management settings share the human
resource pressures examined in this case, since many sport managers work long,
non-traditional hours, and need to travel. Further, the sport industry has long been
considered a male-dominated industry, and research indicates that male-dominated
industries are usually less well developed in their work-family policies. (Goodstein,
1994; Milliken, Martins, & Morgan, 1998). In addition, it should be noted that while
Retaining Quality Workers 81

the case focuses on families with young children, there is a growing need to address
work-family policies that also deal with elder care (Hewlett & Luce, 2005; Kossek,
Colquitt, & Noe, 2001). First, the case is designed to generate discussion and
awareness of work-family issues and how they operate in the sport world, especially
considering the lengthy, non-traditional hours that coaches and many other sport
managers typically work. Second, it is designed to help students think critically
about the role of individual and organisational supports and strains that enhance the
retention and performance of employees with family needs.

Work-Family Conflict Background Literature

Work-family conflict (WFC) is a form of inter-role conflict (Frone, Russell, &
Cooper, 1992; Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985; Netemeyer, Boles, & McMurrian,
1996) in which "role pressures associated with membership in one organisation
are in conflict from membership in other groups" (Kahn, Wolfe, Quinn, Snoek, &
Rosenthal, 1964, p. 20), or the degree one's responsibilities from work and family
domains are incompatible. The comprising elements of WFC include the general
demands of a role, the time devoted to a specific role, and the strain associated or
produced by a given role (Bacharach, Bamberger & Conley, 1991; Greenhaus &
Beutell, 1985; Kahn et al., 1964; Netemeyer et al., 1996). The general demands of a
role refer to the responsibilities,requirements,expectations,duties, and commitments
associated with a given role. Greenhaus and Beutell (1985) identified two distinct
types of conflict that comprise WFC. Time-based conflict occurs when the amount
of time devoted to the family (or work) role interferes with performing work (or
family) related responsibilities. Secondly, strain-based conflict results when strain
created by the work (or family) role interferes with performing family (or work)
responsibilities (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985).
The operational definition of work-family conflict combines the theories of
inter-role conflict, time-based conflict, and strain-based conflict. Netemeyer et al.
(1996) defined WFC as a form of inter-role conflict in which the general demands
of time devoted to, and strain created by the job interfere with performing family
related responsibilities. In contrast, family-work conflict is a form of inter-role
conflict in which the general demands of time devoted to, and strain created by
the family interfere with performing work-related responsibilities (Netemeyer et
al., 1996). The more time and energy individuals invest in one, the less time and
energy individuals have for other roles (Netemeyer et al., 1996). Usually, the role
expectations of these two distinct domains are not compatible, creating conflict
between work and family life.
Theory building and empirical research in the area of WFC has focused
on two main concepts-integration and separation (Kanter, 1977; Parsons, 1960;
82 Dixon & Bruening

Rapoport et al., 2002). Separation is conceptualised as maintaining a division

between home and work. Employees who separate the two realms leave all paid
work responsibilities at the workplace and conversely leave all family problems at
home (Kanter, 1977). The workers' aspirations, family lives, values, community
life, and other relationships are not considered. Titmuss (1968) concluded that a
strong separation of the two institutions allowed each to function independently and
without conflict.
Over the past twenty years in particular, investigations in this literature
have transitioned to the concept of integration, mirroring changes in work and
family structure (e.g., more dual income families). Rapoport and colleagues (2002)
contended that norms are moving away from those that had assumed the primacy of
paid work and that have limited the career choices and opportunities of individuals
who sought fulfillment through commitment to both work and personal life. That is,
experiencing satisfaction from both work and personal life is more common as these
two life spheres are not seen as separate, but integrated. Integration is the concept
that workers perform best in environments that consider both work and family life
(Carlson & Kacmar, 2000; Pleck, 1993; Rapoport et al., 2002).
The impact of integration on the workplace means that managers must
consider the outside lives of workers. According to this perspective, the most
effective working environments re-think the traditional notion of single roles for
men and women, instead focusing on dual work-family roles for both persons, as it
is no longer a case of choosing to prioritise work or family, it is a case of prioritising
both (Anderson, Coffey, & Byerly, 2002; Rapoport et al., 2002). While earlier in this
century, the concept of employers changing their policies to accommodate families
was inconceivable, in the 1990's and 20007s,this has been the most evident attempt
to accommodate work-family conflict. Paternity leave, flexible schedules, and on-
site childcare are all examples of organisations trying to accommodate the family
needs of their employees (Anderson et al., 2002; Kossek et al., 2001; Pleck, 1993).
The integrationist perspective argues that there are positive outcomes in
pursuing a "dual agenda" of family and work for both the workers and the organisation
(Rapoport et al., 2002). For the worker, their'role strain decreases, leading to increased
satisfaction and productivity in their overall lives. For the organisation, addressing
worker needs helps to develop a sense of affective commitment (Meyer & Allen,
1991) and reduces worker withdrawal (Hammer, Bauer, & Grandey, 2003).

Utilisation of the Case

This case presents several opportunities for engagement. First, it is examined from
an overall perspective. This assists students to gain an understanding of WFC as a
general issue, define the problem, propose potential solutions, and analyse identified
outcomes. Second, it is examined from an individual perspective, which helps the
Retaining Quality Workers 83

students see how WFC policies and cultures impact individual decisions and careers.
Third, it is examined from an organisational perspective, which helps students see
the informal and formal policies and work cultures that impact WFC as well as the
tensions inherent in balancing individual and organisational needs. Each of these
areas is discussed below, along with corresponding suggestions for dscussion.

Definition of the Problem

Students should read through the entire case to garner a picture of the issue at hand.
It is important that as students read the case, they are encouraged to think about the
issues from various perspectives - that of the Athletic Director, Coach Evans, other
coaches in the department, assistant coaches, and Evans' soccer team participants.
How students solve the problem will depend greatly on how they define it. That is,
is this an individual issue, a management issue, or a social issue? If students view it
merely as an individual family issue to be resolved by individual families, they may
miss the larger management and social implications for all employees regarding the
nature and definition of work and sport.

Questions for Discussion

1. Define the problem introduced in this case.
2. What solutions may be proposed to rectify the situation? Whose perspective
does each solution represent?
3. How does each solution impact other employees and the organisation as a
whole?

Individual Supports and Strains

In their study of baseball players, Dixon, Bruening, Mazerolle, Davis and Crowder
(2006) demonstrated how both individual and organisational supports and strains
can play a role in WFC. Clearly the literature supports the notion that individual
level variables can impact the levels to which employees experience work- family
conflict, and the separationist framework places the responsibility for dealing with
family conflict solely on the shoulders of the individual employee. Some individual
factors that are related to WFC include family structure, gender, values, and support
networks (Dixon & Bruening, 2005).
First, WFC is higher among those with young children at home and those
who are concerned about child care. (Carlson, 1999; Fox & Dwyer, 1999). As
illustrated in the case, when children enter school, many conflict problems are
solved, yet new ones are created as those children attempt to participate in activities
84 Dixon & Bruening

of their own that are often in direct time conflict with coaching schedules. In fact,
recent research indicates that school-age children whose parents are not home in the
evenings may experience lower school, developmental, and health outcomes than
those whose parents work more traditional hours (Heymann & Earle, 2001). Thus,
when examining WFC, one must consider the age of the children, the time of work,
and the care situations available for the children.
Gender is also an influential variable in the WFC experience. The literature
is mixed regarding whether men or women experience more WFC. Some research
suggests that there are no gender differences (Eagle, Miles, & Icenogle, 1997),
whereas other research argues that women experience higher levels (Frone et al.,
1992). One gender difference, however, that has been consistently supported is that
men typically experience more work-into-family conflict, while women experience
more family-into-work conflict: especially if they have young children (Losocco,
1997). In other words, like the case of the men's soccer coach, men are more likely
to place work obligations above family obligations whereas women are more likely
to place family obligations (e.g., sick child, lack of care, activities) before work
obligations. Although women do have some WFC issues that are particular to them
(i.e., pregnancy and childbirth), WFC impacts both genders. It is therefore important
to examine the causes of WFC for each gender from the perspective of work-into-
family or family-into-work issues, rather than simply assuming that only women
have WFC issues.
Carlson and Kacmar (2000) convincinglyargued the importanceof examining
life role values in investigationsof WFC. They argued that life role values were central
to organising meaning and action for working parents. They established priorities
for these parents and made links to job and/or family involvement: Individuals
who place a high value on work will probably also be more work involved;
individuals who place a high value on family will probably be more family
involved. These authors found that individuals who valued work over family
experienced greater family-into-work conflict. Conversely, those who valued family
over work reported that high work demands increased work-into-family conflict,
reducing both family and work satisfaction. Interestingly, individuals high in
both work and family values, also reported that conflict reduced both job and life
satisfaction. The authors reasoned that valuing one domain over another made that
domain more salient and more subject to highs and lows. Individuals who valued
both were subject to the conflicts and ambiguity related to choosing priorities. It
may be difficult to assign role values to the individuals based on the information
provided in the case, but there is room for students to discuss the role of values
in WFC and potentially in hiring decisions. That is, should values be included in
job interviews and if so, should only those applicants who highly value work be
selected? Students may also benefit from dscussing their own values and how those
values might change over time.
Retaining Quality Workers 85

Finally, individuals with more developed support networks experience lower

WFC (Carlson & Perrewe, 1999). In a practical sense, support often means care
for young children when childrnindmg is not available (e.g., evenings, weekends,
when the child is sick), but it can also mean emotional support, which acts to help
reduce stress. Support networks can be comprised of fiends, neighbors, andlor
family, with family support often being the most critical. Family support can include
one's spouse, partner, and extended family. Workers with non-working spouses or
partners usually experience lower WFC. Various forms of support are mentioned
in the case, especially in the emails. Students can compare the various individual
support systems that help and hinder WFC and explain the mechanisms behind the
support.

Learning Points
Students should gamer an understanding of WFC from an individual perspective.
That is, individual employees have diverse values, support networks, and needs that
impact WFC. Students should also gain an appreciation for the effects on workers
and organisations when WFC is viewed through a separationist lens. To further
apply the concepts, students might also reflect on their own values, career, and
family goals.

Questions for Discussion

1. Explain Coach Evans' personal situation in terms of gender, family status, and
apparent values (work and family).
2. How is Evans similarldifferent to her female colleagues and the men's soccer
coach in terms of the variables in question l?
3. What difference do these individual variables make in relation to WFC?

Organisational Supports and Strains

While the separationist paradigm views WFC as an individual issue to be separated
from the workplace, increasingly organisations are faced with the reality and benefits
of viewing workers as employees and family members. Further, a view of work-
family balance simply as a set of individual or family choices ignores the context in
which these choices are made (Kay, 2003). Clearly, WFC does not exist in a vacuum.
Work structures strongly impact the range of choices given to employees and their
families for how to manage both work and family (Dixon & Bruening, 2005).
If organisations are to adopt an integrationist viewpoint, however, they
must have some impetus for doing so. Research is clear that organisations benefit
86 Dixon & Bruening

from providing family-friendly environments. For example, organisations with

flexible, family-fnendly policies are not only viewed as more attractive, especially
to prospective female employees (Parker & Allen, 2001), but also report lower
levels of absenteeism (Goff, Mount, & Jamison, 1990), higher commitment (Allen,
2001; Hewlett & Luce, 2005), lower turnover intent (Allen, 2001), and higher
work functioning (Clark, 2001). Clearly there is a relationship between employer
responsiveness to family concerns and WFC. Employers have a stake in examining
their policies-both formal and informal-related to this issue.
Formal policies that have been linked to lower WFC include on-site childcare,
and flexible family leave plans. These policies aid young families in reducing
stress related to childcare and often ensure job security during a short period of
absence. Often policies of this nature are tied to national policy (particularly in state
organisations). If students are interested, they may want to investigate and compare
work-family policies of different countries. In the current case, the university does
not provide on-site childcare , which presents a specific challenge to Coach Evans.
The formal work policy of 12 weeks leave, while important for job security, does
not adequately address Evans' need to cover a particularly busy time of the season.
Thus, there seems to be a disconnect between formal policy and the reality of some
jobs.
WFC often relates to the nature and structure of the work place and the job
itself. Staines and Pleck (1984) argued that increased non-standard hours increased
work-family conflict. Conversely, several studies have argued that, controlling
for hours worked, increased flexibility was associated with reduced work-family
conflict and with increased job commitment and satisfaction (Anderson et al., 2002;
Scandura & Lankau, 1997). The relationship between scheduled work hours and
conflict are largely attributed to increased difficulty in arranging family schedules,
especially for child-care. Jobs that are constantly changing in their hours make a
routine d~fficultto establish. Jobs requiring non-traditional hours, especially nights
and weekends, make standard child-care more problematic. These jobs require much
more negotiation between caregivers and can also lead to increased WFC if childcare
cannot be arranged.
The structure of work schedules is highlighted in sport and athletic settings.
Typically, coaches work nights and weekends, long hours, and require some, if not
extensive, travel. These realities make childcare challenging, especially if workers
do not have access to family members or live-in type child-care arrangements.
Adding a social-relations perspective, Inglis, Danylchuk, & Pastore (2000) argued
that scheduling is especially difficult for women in the department as compared to
men, because they typically have less say over when and where their teams practice
(see also Chalip, 1978). Although some improvements have been made in this area,
Inglis and colleagues (2000) reported that women still struggle for power and a say
in timetabling for their teams and themselves.
Retaining Quality Workers 87

This lack of power leads not only to timetabling management issues, but also
to increased hstration and stress levels (which can spillover to their teams and their
families).
Another important work characteristic, that is often as important as formal
policy, is a family-friendly or family-supportive organisational culture. Overall,
a more supportive culture decreases reports of WFC (Carlson & Perrewe, 1999;
Kossek et al., 2001). Support can be expressed as flexibility within the work day
(e.g., allowing time for errands or doctor visits) and non-traditional work
arrangements (e.g., work from home, job sharing, reduced hour jobs). It can
also be expressed, as Hewlett and Luce (2005) argued, in not attaching a stigma
to the use of such arrangements. In fact, many family-friendly benefits go
un-utilised because of a fear of negative repercussions. (Clark, 2001; Kossek &
Oeki, 1998). This type of stigma is apparent in the case where there is a perception
that successful coaches "do not miss a game" and that if an employee is not
at work, helshe is not working. The other female coaches presented, express
perceptions of their work cultures in their emails. Hewlett and Luce (2005) argued
that quality employees are not seeking a way out of work, but simply looking for
a slower track while their children are young. Organisations can influence the
acceptability of such a slow track in their work cultures. These work arrangements
provide rich discussion in a sport setting. Is it possible in sport to provide reduced
hours andlor time off for a person in a central position llke Head Coach or senior
level administrator? What are the short and long-term impacts on performance and
what issues of fairness are raised?
From an organisational perspective, formal family-friendly benefits
represent costs to the organisation in terms of personnel and monetary resources.
For example, paid leaves of absence require the organisation to either retain the
work with existing staff or to hire additional staff. For smaller organisations in
particular, this can create a considerable strain on resources. Other benefits, such
as on-site childminding, require space, personnel, and special licensing that may
be problematic. Should organisations be expected to offer these types of benefits
or should workers retain the responsibility for their own childcare arrangements,
costs, etc.?
Organisations must also be aware of fairness issues. For example, is it fair to
provide coaching mothers with family travel benefits (i.e., the athletic department
pays for the child andlor caretaker to travel with the team), but not provide similar
benefits to all coaches? Is it fair to allow some coaches the "benefit" of working
from home, while requiring others to work from the office?
This line of inquiry may also lead to discussions about the structure and
culture of coaching and other sport professions as it impacts WFC for all employees.
That is, what is it about the coaching profession in its structure (e.g., hours,
travel) and culture (e.g., male dominated, sacrifice, work ethic, competition) that
88 Dixon & Bruening

promotes or hinders flexible work arrangements? Encourage students to consider

the costs to the organisation of providing family-friendly benefits. At the same time,
encourage students to challenge the assumptions of "how things work" and to think
of creative solutions to overcome issues of WFC.

Questions for Discussion

1. What formal policies are offered by the university to aid workers in their
family situations?
2. What informal cultures seem to increase or decrease WFC for the coaches?
In what ways are cultural expectations manifested and how do they impact
employees?
3. How can formal and informal policies work in concert or against each other to
increase or decrease WFC?
4. Describe a typical work schedule for a full-time coach. How is his or her
schedule similar or different to other positions in sport or sport management
related roles? Does the work schedule impact WFC? In what ways?
5. How do you think the culture of coaching does or does not represent the
culture of other elements of the sport industry?
6 . What formal policies should organisations provide for maternity and family
support?
7. If you were the Athletic Director, how would you resolve this issue for Coach
Evans? How would your solution impact the athletic department in the long
term?
8. If you were Coach Evans, what plan would you have as you enter the Athletic
Director's office? How does your plan impact your work and your family?

Learning Points
Students should gain an appreciation of the ways that work and social structures
and expectations constrain individual choice. They should also have an opportunity
to examine and criticise the structure and nature of the sport industry in particular.
Finally, students should have the opportunity to discuss the tensions that exist in
understanding the responsibilities, both in scope and nature, that organisations
have towards their employees as those employees deal with their work and family
issues.
Retaining Quality Workers 89

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hours, and well-being: China and Latin America versus the Anglo world. Personnel
Psychology, 57, 119-143.
Staines, G.L., & Pleck, J.H. (1984). Nonstandard work schedules and family
life. Journal ofApplied Psychology, 69,5 15-523.
Titmuss, R.M. (1968). Commitment to welfare. London: Allen and Unwin.
Zehr, D. (2005, March 9). Study: Allow for home, keep top female talent.
Austin American Statesman, p. Dl.
 Dixon & Bruening

Retaining Quality Workers:

A Case Study of Work-Family Conflict
In early April, Athletic Director Bill Harper sat at his desk finishing up a few
email responses before his 10 a.m. meeting with women's soccer coach, Melinda
Evans. Coach Evans had arrived at State University 3 years ago and promptly
turned the fledgling women's soccer program into a conference contender. This past
season they had even made the first round of the national championship (NCAA)
tournament. Certainly her references were correct in painting her as a hard-worker
and a competitor. She worked relentless hours in-season, recruiting, and during her
summer camps. She had also raised enough corporate support to take her team to
a late summer tournament in Europe where they would have the chance to play at
least five international teams. He could not be more pleased with his most recent
appointment to the department.
Evans knocked on the door and entered, a typical smile on her face, and
offered a lighthearted greeting. They talked briefly about the summer trip and the
recruiting class for the coming year. Evans reported that plans were on track for
the trip: 18 athletes, 3 coaches, and a trainer were planning to travel. The recruiting
class had shaped-up nicely, with five new scholarship athletes and two potential
walk-ons (i.e., nonscholarship athletes). She had found an outstanding goalie and a
stellar sweeper in the mix, two positions they were losing this year to graduation. All
the scholarship recruits would be making the European trip in August, and she was
excited about the opportunity for building her young team.
Evans paused slightly and Harper knew she was ready to dlscuss the real
purpose of the meeting she had requested. "I guess I should just lay it out for you,"
she said.
"She's gotten another job offer," he thought. "I knew she would be
snatched up."
"I'm pregnant," she said, "About three months. The baby is due in early
September. I thought we could discuss some adjustments to my workload for the
semester, and for the trip to Europe, which my doctor thinks I should not be part of
so late in my pregnancy."
Harper was caught off guard. It took him what seemed to be hours to even
respond. "Congratulations," he stammered, but failed to sound sincere. He genuinely
liked Evans, but had a mixed reaction to her news.
"Thanks," she continued. "We're really happy. It wasn't ideal timing, but
sometimes these things can't be timed. So, I thought I would come, discuss our
athletic department's policy on maternity leave and the like. What have you arranged
for other coaches to manage maternity leave?"
"Well, quite frankly, I don't know," Harper said. "We've never had a pregnant
coach before."
Retaining Quality Workers 93

"Never? What about fathers? Roger (men's basketball) has three kids
and Jarrod (men's soccer) has two. What did you do for them?"
"Really nothing. They never asked for time off. In fact, Roger never
missed a game even though his second child was born in early November. Never
really felt the need, I guess."
Trying not to be defensive, Evans replied, "Well, I guess this is
uncharted territory, but I am pregnant and would like to work with you to make it
the best experience for us all . I really like my job and want to continue here. I see
no reason why we can't make it work with a few adjustments."
"In all honesty, Coach Evans," Harper replied. "I am simply not prepared
to discuss this today. And, in the end, it's really your problem to solve. You need
to understand from my perspective that we still have a soccer team and an
upcoming season to coach. Regardless of the reason for your absence, it still
creates a hole that must be filled by someone. If you need to miss some work, you
need to find a suitable replacement. If you don't want to miss work, you need to
find someone to take care of your baby. What I think we need to do is for you
to formulate a plan and I'll approve or disapprove it. I'll give you the human
resources contact so you can find out about our formal university policy, then
let's adjust from there. Send me a list of suggestions and let's talk again in two
weeks."
Evans, without really responding, left the office disappointed and somewhat
angry. "What does he mean it's all my problem? Don't they want me here? I would
think that he could at least be happy for me, not shove it back in my face that I will
need to miss some work! I have sacrificed everything for three years to build this
team and this is the response I receive? If this department isn't more family-friendly
than this, perhaps I need to find a new department," she thought.
Harper was equally disgruntled. "Women," he thought. "Managing them
is so different than managing men." He had never really thought about Evans
becoming pregnant. She had seemed so committed and devoted to her work, so
involved in her team, that he never really thought she wanted a family. "And
September," he thought out loud, "that is the worst possible time to have a baby!
She'll have to miss the trip and at least the first part of the season, and who will cover
her beginning soccer class? No wonder five of the other six conference schools had
male coaches in the same position; how much easier to just not have to deal with it."
Still, she was a very good coach and he didn't want to lose her. He decided he'd wait
for now and see what solutions Evans would come up with on her own.
Evans walked to her office and closed the door. "Ok," she thought, "If it's
my problem to solve, I guess I had better get busy solving it." She thought of other
women coaches with kids and resolved to call them in the next couple of days.
She also emailed the human resource officer assigned to her division and set an
appointment for the following week.
94 Dixon & Bmening

Informal Policy
Evans knew several other women coaches who had children. She wondered what
insights might be gained from conversations with them. Certainly they did not have
all the answers, but maybe they had found some personal or work support that
helped them balance both demands. Her fiiend Kathryn, a basketball coach, had
just had her second child near the end of the past season. Since her husband worked
from home, she was sure Kathryn would make it work well. Betsy, a rowing coach,
had her first child about a year ago, about a month before the height of the rowing
season. Suzanne, a college teammate and now college coach, had recently adopted
a child, fulfilling a lifelong desire to raise a child of her own.
She emailed all three, asking for suggestions regarding her own situation
and any advice they might give her for integrating her new baby into her worklife.
It was no surprise that her fiends replied quickly and were most willing to share not
only their stories, but also their advice. She read each of the emails carefully (see
Appendix A), enjoying the stories and trying to relate to their positions.
She then went to Jarrod's office and sat down. She explained her situation and
asked him what he and his wife did to manage their family, and what the university
offered him for family leave. Jarrod explained that he did not take any formal leave.
He just worked from home more frequently during his sons' first months.
"I was fortunate, I guess, that our boys were both born in January, which is a
pretty slow time. I would come in for a few hours each day for meetings, paperwork,
etc., but mostly I worked from home - making calls, reviewing film, and taking
short recruiting trips on the weekends. I will tell you, though, that Harper didn't like
it. He thought I was at home watching TV or out playing golf and drinking beer. I
think most people around this office think if you're not here, you're not working. I
don't know how much that has changed. I definitely felt the pressure from making
that choice, but I wouldn't go back and change a thing."
"I guess I can see it from his perspective, too, though. He has a department
to run and athletes to look after. He needs his coaches to perform at their best. I do
think he tries to make fair policies and treat people with respect. I guess he can't
make exceptions for every family interruption or the work would not be completed
and the department would be chaotic."
He continued, "From a long-term perspective, I have enjoyed being a parent
and coach, but I definitely depend a lot on my wife, who stays home full-time. I
don't wony about home stuff, she just takes care of it. It is really great as a coach
to have that kind of support. It was actually easier, though, when the boys were
smaller. It didn't really matter if I was around. Now, I worry about not being home
that much. Our boys are six and seven now and I miss most of their soccer, t-ball,
and basketball games. It seems I'm either recruiting, training, or travelling. My
oldest is starting to feel a little resentful, I think. I mean, he thinks it's great that
Retaining Quality Workers 95

I'm a coach, and tells all his buddies, but he doesn't understand why I can go to all
these games for other kids and not to his. That will definitely be grounds for
negotiation in the future. I'm not sure I can or want to continue down this break-
neck pace and leave my boys in the lurch."
"Wow," said Evans. "I hadn't even really thought of long-term balance.
I was just trying to figure out a six-month plan. I suppose it doesn't get any easier,
does it?"
"In some ways it does get easier; when they go to school, you don't need
childcare so much. But, then they have activities that conflict with your team's.
It seems like a constant battle of time and values. At this point, though, I can't see
me trading one for the other. I'm just not sure that we have to always work as hard
as we do, or as others make us think we do. Like I said, I know I want to coach,
I'm just not sure at what price, and I'm not convinced it has to be the time-
consuming profession that some have made it to be."
Evans replied, "It's nice to hear that it's not just me who thinks our hours
are kmd of crazy. I love what I do and I want to win as much as the next person, but
I also want balance, and I want that for my athletes too. It's a tough issue
indeed."

Formal Policy
Coach Evans arrived for her 2:00 p.m. appointment with Judy Applebaum,
Assistant Director for Human Resources. After exchanging pleasantries, Evans
settled down to the business at hand. She explained that she was expecting a baby in
early September and that she wanted to know about the University's policy regarding
maternity leave and childcare after the baby was born.
Applebaum explained, "We have a standard family leave policy that
maternity falls under. It is also utilised for adopting a child and for taking care
of a medically dependent spouse, child, or parent. As an organisation, we feel
this is a fair and reasonable policy. It helps employees cope with family needs
without placing undue burden on the university during extended employee
absences. Essentially, you may take up to twelve weeks off work and still
retain your current position. We require that you first use all sick leave and
any holiday leave you have accrued. The rest of the time will be unpaid. The
University will still pay for your insurance (at the current rate) and any retirement
benefits."
"Following the birth of your baby, you will have to pay the additional
costs of adding a dependent onto your insurance as well as any childcare costs.
The University does not offer on-site childcare, but we can recommend a number of
quality care centres in the area."
96 Dixon & Bruening

"Well, I think I will need to take at least six weeks off because the kindys
(i.e., child care centres) I have spoken with will not take a baby until they are six
weeks old. So, I guess I need to find out how much holiday time I have and work
from there," Evans replied.
"I can look that up for you. It looks like you have 32 sick days, and 6 weeks
of holiday accrued. You have not taken any holiday days or sick days since your
arrival. So, you could actually take about twelve weeks off with pay if you used all
your vacation and sick days."
"There's no way I could take twelve weeks off from my team," said Evans,
"at least not during the season. Could I take some of that leave in the September1
October, and some after the first of the year?"
"You can take it whenever you want, as long as you clear it with your
supervisor," Applebaum replied.
"Thanks so much for your time," said Evans. "I'll call if I have more
questions."

Other Supports
Coach Evans walked around campus awhile contemplating her options. In some
ways it was nice that she would not have to take unpaid leave to have the baby. Still,
how could she possibly take even six weeks off during season, and what would she
do with the baby during the timeframe before the child could attend kindy? She
was also frustrated with the lack of evening care. "I can deal with the daytime," she
thought, "and complete training by about 5 p.m., then make calls in the evenings.
But what about game days? What about weekend travel? No kindy takes babies at
night during our soccer matches. I guess I will need to discuss this with Taylor and
see what he thinks."
That evening, she and Taylor discussed the formal policy and their thoughts
on their own support networks. Taylor admitted that he never really considered that
kindys weren't open in the evenings or weekends.
"I think I could take care of the baby in the evenings," he said. "I can adjust
my work schedule around your matches. On road trips, though, the baby would be
awfully small to leave at home all weekend. Maybe I could come or we could hire
a nanny to go on the trips with you. Do you think the school would pay the airfare
for that?"
"I doubt it, but maybe we could work something out," Evans replied. "I
agree that the baby should come on trips in the fall, even if the team has some
adjusting to do. I still don't know about the Europe trip in terms of who will cover,
but I know I can't go. I'm so excited and so frustrated at the same time. I love my
team and I love coaching, but it seems like there are very few areas of assistance and
Retaining Quality Workers 97

flexibility when it comes to family life. How am I supposed to take care of my kids
(the players) and my own kid at the same time?"
Taylor agreed and promised to help and support as much as possible. "If you
want to continue coaching," he said, "I think we can make it work. I just don't want
you to feel guilty in the end that you sacrificed one for the other."

Making Decisions
Two weeks later, after talking with her assistants, the human resource officer, her
husband, several local childcare centres, and her coaching friends (see Appendix A)
Evans had some idea of a plan to cover her maternity time and through the season.
She knew the team would not be happy about her not travelling to Europe, but
that they would be fine in the long run. She also knew that her capable assistants
would be able to cover for her on the trip and through the early stages of the season.
What she worried about, however, was the balancing act that followed - caring for
a baby, building a team, recruiting, and covering her other duties would be quite a
challenge. She hoped that Bill Harper would support her plan and her new lifestyle
with all its adjustments.
She knocked on the door, took a deep breath, and entered with her plan.
 Dixon & Bmening

Appendix A: Emails
From: KBball@mail.com
To: mevans@univ.edu
Re: Balancing work & family
Date: May 2

Dear Mel,
Congratulations!! I am so excited for you and Taylor. What a fim time! Sorry to
hear of your challenges at work. Surely September is not an ideal time to have a
baby when you are a soccer coach, but what are you going to do? As you know,
Carey is now 2 % and David was just born in February. It has been quite an
adventure having two. I suppose it is ironic that you have asked how I cope with
things, because I have decided to take at least a few years off to be with my kids.
I love coaching and I know I want to come back to it in a few years (if I can), but
I just cannot justify the hours away from my kids right now and there seems to be
no flexibility here for me to make adjustments. My husband, Kevin has been great,
but I feel that I also need time with them, time I cannot get back in a few years.
Nevertheless, I can share some insights with you on how my schedule worked
and what adjustments I requested from my A.D. She was supportive, but was also
concerned about fairness, and in the end, did not offer enough benefits for me to
be able to stay. In a nutshell, here's my typical day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays,
I would be up at 6:30 a.m. and out the door by 7:00 a.m. to teach my strength and
conditioning class. On those days, Carey was usually not up yet by the time I left,
so Kevin fed her breakfast and took her to day-care or spent the morning with her
Then, I would go straight to the office by 8:30 a.m. and work until about 11:30. On
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I could just go to the office, so I could see Carey
for about thirty minutes. I would come home for lunch if I didn't have meetings,
and return to the office around 1:00 p.m. We had film review and individual
meetings until 3:00 p.m., then practice from 3:00-6:00 or so. After discussing
practice and organising for tomorrow, I would usually head home around 6:30 or
7:OO. That was my favorite time of the day, a full hour with Kevin and Casey. I
would play with her, give her a bath, and read, cuddle, and put her to bed. Kevin
and I would then have dinner at about 8, followed by a few phone calls or emails
and off to bed myself.
Our department was fairly strict about office hours because we are a part of the
student life division. Even though there was no absolutely formal policy, we were
to be in the office by 8:30 or 9, take an hour for lunch, and work until 5. I still think
it is ironic that we often work until 10 pm or later if on the road, but that doesn't
change the expectation to be in by 8:30 the next day.
Retaining Quality Workers

So, you can imagine after David was born, it has become quite difficult. I took
two weeks during the end of the season for his birth, then finished up the last week
with a road trip to Dallas for our conference tournament. I took him with me and
brought my mother along to take care of him. My assistants were terrific. They just
took over all the team stuff and really we did not skip a beat. The team also was
pretty understanding, but was not exactly excited to have me out during the peak
of conference play. By the end of season, I was just exhausted. I then took a month
off, just to recover and spend time with David. Of course, I couldn't really take
the time off completely because of recruiting, finishing up the year, and planning
for the next, but at least I did not go to the office much, mostly making calls from
home when David was asleep. So, between the two weeks when he was born, and
the other four, I had used the six weeks of maternity leave officially afforded by
our university.
After being back to work another month or so, I have decided to resign. I spoke
with ourA.D., and she said she cannot offer me any concessions. I thought maybe
my assistants could take over my two classes (and I would just take a pay cut to
cover their salary). She said that it was not that easy and that she didn't think it
would be fair to the other head coaches who also had to teach a few classes. She
also was unwilling to negotiate my summer responsibilities. As you know, we work
on a twelve-month contract, so we're basically expected to fill the same summer
hours that we do in the school year (8:30-5:00), unless we're recruiting. I was able
to pass my camps off to my assistants (who were grateful for the extra earnings),
but could not make other adjustments.All I really wanted was to work from home
most days, but again was told that would not be fair to the other coaches who were
expected to be at the office.
Kevin was able to negotiate a pay-raise, and with the savings we'll have from not
having day- care, it just made sense for me to take some time off. My athletes are
quite upset at having to hire another coach (I was the third coach in three years
for the seniors), but something had to give. I just can't sacrifice my own kids for a
school that won't work with me to find a balance.
So, I guess my advice to you is to find out what responsibilities you can pass on
to your assistants, what flexibility you have to work from home, and how you can
carve out time not only to have your baby, but also to spend time with himher
afterwards. I'm not sure of the answers, but I know that rigid office hours and
having to teach activity classes for the PE department are NOT the answer!
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. I'm so happy for you and hope
that you can make it work.
Your friend,
Kathryn
100 Dixon & Bruening

From: BRower@mail.com
To: mevans@univ.edu
Re: Balancing work & family
Date: May 1

Dear Melinda -

Yea!! Congratulations on your pregnancy. So happy to hear your good news.

Devon, Claire, and I are doing well. Claire just turned one in January. She is a
trip, and despite a rather rough beginning with her and the team, things are
smoothing out quite nicely. Our team got second in conference rowing, but
continues to grow. Got some good ladies coming in, probably need two
more to round out the team. I'm not worried, though, we always find some walk-
on budding rowers who just don't know that they are rowers yet!

I don't know if I have a tonne of advice on the day-to-day. Devon has a pretty
flexible work schedule, so we just seem to work it out. And, my parents are only
two hours away, so they are always willing to help out in emergencies. But, I can
tell you about having a baby in-season and maybe offer some advice about what
not to do.

So, Claire is born on a Monday evening. Pretty routine, and I felt good. I didn't
do much work that week or the next. I don't have an assistant, so I just wrote out
practices and the team carried them out. It seemed to be ok. But, that following
Saturday, we had a major meet just up the road about three hours. I packed up
Claire, Devon and my mother and headed for the meet. It was pouring rain and the
cars were about % mile from the launching site. Claire was screaming her head off
and I had to feed her. So right about launching time (of course), Devon's holding
the umbrella over me and my mother as I try to nurse Claire in the pouring rain.
Meanwhile various members of the team keep running back and forth from the
launch to check if I'm coming . It was a disaster. Claire was upset, the kids were
upset, and I was near tears by the end of the day. The next week was not much
better as the athletes were upset and angry. They felt I let them down and that
practices were just not the same without me there. They said they understood that
I had to have my own life, too, but that I had broken a trust they committed to me
in coming here. Talk about guilt!! Really, at that point, a no-win situation.
I'm not sure how we all survived that winterlspring. Basically I gave up nursing
so Devon could be more autonomous with Claire and she did not have to come
with me on road trips. At the end of the season, I took two weeks off to re-group,
and since then, we have settled into a pretty normal routine. We practice from
2-5 pm, so I don't need special arrangements for Claire in the evenings. Devon
and my parents traded off road trips this year, and we make recruiting trips into
Retaining Quality Workers

family vacations over the summer. I don't run camps and I have most of the summer
off, so it's been pretty good. I honestly don't know how basketball coaches do it
with all those camps and summer recruiting. Wow-what a task! But, I think my
job is a bit more manageable and I don't plan on giving it up anytime soon!
I think my biggest advice to you would be to find out your legal rights for maternity
leave, and take advantage of it, even if it is in the middle of your season. That
doesn't mean you have to take a full six or twelve weeks, but you need at least a
month. Surely there is someone who can cover the trip to Europe and a few weeks
of your season, maybe your senior women's administrator or someone? That's a
problem with us coaches, we don't want anyone else running our team and we
know there's such a responsibility to our athletes. But, we have a responsibility to
our babies and ourselves, too. Please, don't just "suck it up and play" on this one.
Leave policies are there for a reason, and we shoot ourselves in the foot by not
taking advantage of them and finding creative ways to cover the load for the short
time we are gone.
Let me know if you need help researching the policies and your rights. I'm no
lawyer, but I do know you have a right to some time off to take care of your family
and you owe it to yourself and your baby to take advantage. Let me know how
things turn out!

Betsey
102 Dixon & Bruening

From: sssoccer@mail.com
To: mevans@univ.edu
Re: Balancing work & family
Date: May 2

Mother Me1 -
Hey girl! Congrats on the upcoming baby. I know you'll be a great mother you -

always were to our whole team. I also hope you can work things out with your
university and A.D. I can't imagine not coaching or not being a mother, and my
school has been so supportive. I'm sure you also can make it work.
You asked for my tips and such. As far as maternity leave, I don't have much to
offer. I adopted Sam when he was 6 months old, so I never took any maternity
leave. Basically, we've had a mix of day care, friend-care, and mother-care since
day one. I adopted him in March, which was the perfect time. I basically worked
from home March to May and only went to the office for practice and our few
weekend 7-a-side soccer matches. He went to day care when I was gone, or stayed
with friends. The men's soccer coach, the swimming coach, and the volleyball
coach all have kids, so they just took turns watching him. The two weekends I
was gone with the team, I brought along an undergraduate student to watch him
during the tournaments. Then, that summer, I offered two weeks of camp in early
June. Sam went to day care full-time and my assistants did a lot to run the camp,
especially set-up and clean-up, so I only had to be there 8-5. The rest of the
summer, I basically took off except for recruiting. Then, I just took Sam with me.
He sat or slept in the stroller and watched a lot of soccer It was really a great time
and the whole department was really supportive.
Since then, I would probably say that making it work is a combo of about three
things. First, my niece moved in with Sam and I in July. She is a student at the
university. So, Sam goes to kindy during the day, then my niece watches him in
the evenings or weekends. I don't bring him on trips, as she is there to care for
him. So far, that is working well as she gets free room and board, and I get free
babysitting. I cannot imagine the cost of finding care for Sam, especially evenings
and weekends if I didn't have her. I'm not sure if you have access to some similar
arrangement or what your husband's work schedule is like, but it has worked great
for me.
Second, work is so flexible. Our A.D. doesn't care when and if we come to the
office as long as we are getting our work done. It is so great. Usually I take at least
the morning off after a road trip, if not the whole day. I just work from home to
finalise budgets, watch game film, and call recruits. I also have tomes of flexibility
in the summer, so we can really get some good time together before season starts.
If he's sick or has an appointment, I just work from home that day or go to the
Retaining Quality Workers

office in the evening when my niece gets home. I think I would go nuts if I had
someone dictating my hours to me. So, whatever you can do to gain control over
your own schedule, I would do.
Third, I would just say that our work culture is family-friendly. You know, it has
little to do with any formal policy about maternity leave or anything, it's just that
several of us have little kids and we work to help each other out - mothers and
fathers. Some of us put our kids in the same childcare centre so we can "car pool"
and we sometimes watch each other's children during road trips. There's always
someone's kid running around the office complex. We even have a TV down in the
lounge so the kids can watch videos if we need them to. I think everybody realises
that work and family go together and that coaching is such a demanding profession
that you can't really do it on your own. Everyone trusts each other to get their work
done and it's almost expected that we'll miss some work for family obligations.
You know, it's funny, I think the balance has actually made it a better department
for all of us -maybe more sanity!
So, I don't know if that's helpful or not, but that's how I am making it work. I'm
not really sure your situation at work and how your A.D. runs things, but I hope
you can work it out with him.
Ring me sometime - I'd love to catch up!