The sense of a right to the reconciliation: work and personal and family life in a local authority staff

Abstract

This article presents the main results of qualitative research on the sense that peoplehave of the right to public support for the reconciliation of work and personaland family life, in the case of staff of a local authority in northern-central Portugalthat is the object of an equality plan. The authors conclude that: the sense that thereal content of rights is small is reflected in a limited awareness of the obligationsthat pertain to the state, employers and society in general when it comes to providingservices and support for the family; reconciliation problems are individualisedand privatised; people have low expectations as to the support they are likely toreceive from their employer and the state; and they are thus unlikely to mobiliseand demand access to rights.