Degendering Work Time in Comparative Perspective: Alternative Policy Frameworks

Abstract

Policy initiatives providing for alternative working time arrangements as well as a shortened standard work week have become prevalent in recent years, especially among the highly industrialized countries of northern Europe. We find that despite institutional differences, Germany, France, and Sweden have adopted policies that explicitly or implicitly contribute to the gendering of work time. Increasingly, what differentiates gender roles is not whetherindividuals have a job, but the amount of timespent in paid employment. The expansion of overtime for men and part-time jobs for women reinforces the skewed division of domestic labor and occupational segregation. European unions are acquiescing to work reorganization policies that promote the expansion of both part-time and overtime as long as these policies are coupled with measures facilitating work redistribution to save jobs. Broader visions of work reduction as a means to gender equity have been shunted to the background.work time, European Union, women's employment, part-time work, flexibility, labor market policy,

Part-Time Work in the Nordic Region II

“…Thus, the public sector, with generous opportunities for part-time employment, is attractive to mothers wishing to combine employment and caring for their children. Figart and Mutari (1998) reach a similar conclusion in their review of research that emphasises how policies have unintended consequences with regard to occupational gender segregation. Sweden's extensive parental leave provisions has been successful in terms of keeping mothers in the labour market throughout their working life, but it has not succeeded in changing the norms for male workers.…”

“…Sweden's extensive parental leave provisions has been successful in terms of keeping mothers in the labour market throughout their working life, but it has not succeeded in changing the norms for male workers. In contrast, women in male-dominated sectors might be penalised for taking parental leave and asking for reduced hours, according to Figart and Mutari (1998). Hence, the policy reinforces the occupational gender segregation as women move to "female-friendly" public sector employment.…”

“…In order to explain why part-time employment is more widespread in female-dominated occupations, scholars emphasise that femaledominated jobs are structured under the expectation that women will reduce their number of work hours in combination with having children (Figart and Mutari 1998). Abrahamsen (2009Abrahamsen ( , 2010 describes workplaces in the caring sector as characterised by a part-time culture.…”

Gender Equality in Employment in Turkish Legislation with Comparisons to EU and International Law

“…Family responsibilities should be equally shared by the mother and the father. Otherwise, married women, because of childcare responsibilities, cannot take their place in employment at all or must work in part-time jobs (Figart & Mutari, 1998;Kimmel, 1998) or home-based jobs, with the consequent failure to reach their earning potential.…”

“…Figart and Mutari (1998) state that protective legislation for women workers is based upon the argument that male workers are free agents capable of negotiating their individual conditions of work while women need special protection. The gender-specific restrictions were predicated on society's interest in women's health and safety due to their role as mothers.…”