Central to the debate surrounding work and family life is a paradox, namely the essential competition between the demands of business to be productive and efficient in the market place, and the need for workers to enjoy satisfying family and personal lives. This article draws on data from the Institute's Australian Family Life Course Study to examine the extent to which work and home life impinge on one another. The authors discuss how factors related to the working environment, family circumstances and time pressures influence these reciprocal effects, and identify the main predictors of work impinging on home life.