Is using work-life interface benefits a career-limiting move? An examination of women, men, lone parents, and parents with partners

Using a large national sample based on Workplace and Employee Survey data collected by Statistics Canada in 2001 and 2002, we examined the effects of employee usage of seven organizational work-life interface benefits on promotions. Analysis predicted promotions in 2002 when number of promotions received by 2001 were controlled. The main effect of using work-life interface benefits on promotions was positive, indicating that using these benefits is not a career-limiting move. Gender, presence of young children, and marital status interacted with the use of work-life interface benefits. Single parents benefitted less than other employees from using work-life interface options. Altogether, these findings suggest that the ongoing positive effects of conservation of time and energy resources for employees outweigh the initial short-term negative effects of signaling and stigmatization.