Most people think it’s only women and moms who need flexible work arrangements, like telecommuting, part-time work, or job sharing. But even men and people without children suffer when they work in an environment they feel is not family-friendly, says LSA sociologist Erin Cech, co-author of a new study on work-life balance.

When employees think their careers will suffer if they take time away from work for family or personal reasons, they have lower work satisfaction and experience more work-life spillover. They’re also more likely to want to leave their jobs, says Cech. People need to feel they can ask for personal or family time off and still get ahead at work.

Click here to read more about the negative impacts of a family-unfriendly workplace environment.