Patterns of Development in Work/Family Reconciliation Policies for Parents in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK in the 2000s.

The article discusses research on work and family, employment policy, and social goals in France, Germany, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. The topics include: the state's role in balancing the labor-relations issue of employment and family responsibilities; the outlook for flexible working hours, a combination of paid and unpaid work, and childcare services; social policy in European Union countries that supports the employment of women; patterns of labor market behavior; and parental attitudes about caring for children that involves taking a leave from work.