Description: One of the most significant social transformations of the past few decades has been the increase in the total time spent at the workplace by couples, essentially driven by the substantial rise in the labour market participation of women. While this increase in labour market participation has been advantageous in many ways (e.g. rising economic output, more income to meet family needs), parents may feel they have less and less time available for their children or for themselves, and may find it increasingly challenging to reconcile family and work responsibilities—especially if they consistently work long hours year after year. This paper looks at the work patterns of families over a five-year period. The longitudinal focus is necessary because other studies have shown that individual work patterns may vary extensively over time. It is also advantageous because relationships between work time and indicators of well-being are likely to be more robust when studied over a longer period (see Data source and definitions). Furthermore, longer-term patterns of labour market participation are likely to be more representative of what families experience in terms of time spent at work and elsewhere.