The Work, Family & Health Network met in Portland last week to discuss their research progress. The Network is a group of scientists conducting the largest Randomized Controlled Trial of a work-family balance intervention in the workplace.  It has been conducted with supervisors working in information technology and health care settings. The intervention involves job restructuring, computer-based training on family-supportive supervisory behaviors and behavior tracking or self-monitoring to support behavior change.

Shown in the picture is Dr. Leslie Hammer discussing the findings on work-family and family-work conflict following the intervention.

To quote from the WFHN website, the Network is providing scientific evidence about how changes in the work environment can improve the health of workers and their families while benefiting organizations. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the Network in 2005.

More will be learned from this research in the next year as the results from the data collected 6 and 12 months after the intervention reveal  changes in a myriad of health measures collected about the supervisors and the employees of the supervisors who were trained.

Look to the Network’s website for results and their dissemination plans as the intervention materials, training and tracking software will be available on their website in the near future. There will be a no-cost option that uses paper-based and powerpoint presentation materials drawn from the intervention as well as a low-cost option of the original materials and software from the study.