Work-family balance issues among construction professionals in Spain

While the topic has already been studied by the construction management research community, most empirical research has been carried out in Great Britain and Australia. Countries vary in the ways in which they address work-family issues, and the national context may affect workers' perceptions and experience of the work-family conflict. The goal of this paper is to explore the subject in a different cultural setting-Spain-. It reports a qualitative investigation on how qualified Spanish construction professionals perceive and experience reconciliation between the different spheres of their lives. Data were obtained via in-depth interviews to 40 qualified construction professionals. Results reveal that many participants do have difficulties in achieving a balance between work and family life, mainly because of irrational time-schedules and overwork. These perceptions are exacerbated in the case of women, while married men over 50 claim to have achieved a greater balance. Salaried participants, rather than self-employed professionals, who enjoy more flexibility, often report greater work-family conflict. Results are similar to those obtained through research carried out in Great Britain and Australia. This may indicate that, whatever the country, the structure and the culture of the construction industry, with its project-based nature of work, make difficult and hinder the achievement of work-family balance.