ABSTRACT
Purpose Work from home has become as regular as the traditional commuting system after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies have discussed the influence of working at home on the work-family interface. However, there is limited understanding of how diverse workforces manage their work-family issues with various family-friendly policies. This study aims to bridge this research gap by examining the collective influence of work conditions and family-friendly policies on work-family balance. Design/methodology/approach A survey experiment featuring two working conditions (work from home or commuting) x four family-friendly policies (household subsidy, family-friendly supervisor, financial profit, paid leave vs no policy) was approached based on 703 valid responses in China. Findings The results indicate that family-friendly policies are more effective under the work-from-home condition than the commuting condition, household subsidies and financial profits are considered more helpful for work-family balance under the work-from-home condition and employees' policy preferences depend on personal identity and work conditions, which help them maintain work and family issues concurrently. Originality/value This study explores the joint impact of work conditions and family-friendly policies from a situational perspective. This study indicated that professional organizations need to perform delicacy management considering policy preferences. Moreover, changing working arrangements help employees facilitate their work-family balance.