Combining work and family: the self-employed between autonomy and work demand

Self-employment is associated with the promise of autonomy, both of time and tasks, and thus has the potential for obtaining a balance among responsibilities and tasks at work, family and care. In this study, we discuss the relationship among these three life spheres by employing an integrative literature review. The study particularly addresses the temporal realities of self-employment because time is fundamental to the everyday life of families and care. This review is based on 21 studies on self-employment that address this topic. According to our findings, it seems particularly suitable to describe self-employment as a double-edged sword: self-employed people might enjoy temporal autonomy that assists in combining work and family life, yet this is not always the case. The self-employed have to meet the demand for work which is often coupled with long hours. Furthermore, applying a gendered view to this topic, our findings reveal that self-employment might cement traditional gender roles, such as women’s role as secondary earners.