Gender, Flexibility Stigma and the Perceived Negative Consequences of Flexible Working in the UK

Abstract

This study examines the prevalence and the gender differences in the perceptions and experiences of flexibility stigma-i.e., the belief that workers who use flexible working arrangements for care purposes are less productive and less committed to the workplace. This is done by using the 4th wave of the Work-Life Balance Survey conducted in 2011 in the UK. The results show that 35% of all workers agree to the statement that those who work flexibly generate more work for others, and 32% believe that those who work flexibly have lower chances for promotion. Although at first glance, men are more likely to agree to both, once other factors are controlled for, women especially mothers are more likely to agree to the latter statement. Similarly, men are more likely to say they experienced negative outcomes due to co-workers working flexibly, while again mothers are more likely to say they experienced negative career consequences due to their own flexible working. The use of working time reducing arrangements, such as part-time, is a major reason why people experience negative career outcomes, and can partially explain why mothers are more likely to suffer from such outcomes when working flexibly. However, this relationship could be reverse, namely, the stigma towards part-time workers may be due to negative perceptions society hold towards mothers' commitment to work and their productivity. In sum, this paper shows that flexibility stigma is gendered, in that men are more likely to discriminate against flexible workers, while women, especially mothers, are more likely to suffer from such discrimination.

Flexible Working and Unpaid Overtime in the UK: The Role of Gender, Parental and Occupational Status

“…It may be that part-time working mothers have a greater capacity to extend their (unpaid) overtime hours than full-time working mothers who may have maxed out on their capacity to work any longer. On the other hand, this could be a result of the negative stigma part-time working carries, especially for mothers (Chung 2018b). Part-time working mothers may have to demonstrate their devotion towards work and work longer when they have more control over their work schedules because of the negative assumptions others hold in regards to part-time working mothers' work commitment and productivity.…”

“…With the autonomy given they may end up working harder during the time they work, but they might be limited in their capacity to further expand their working hours, especially if these hours are unpaid. On the other hand, part-time working mothers may need to work longer to compensate for the possible stigma attached to them especially when their schedules deviate away from the normal working hours to ensure that they do not suffer from further negative career consequences (Chung 2018b). More research is needed to be able to tease out exactly why this autonomy paradox happens in different ways for different groups in the population.…”

Who is Teleworking and Where from? Exploring the Main Determinants of Telework in Europe

“…Thus, the opportunities granted by the expansion of telework may have positive consequences for the amelioration of gender inequalities only if appropriate measures are taken in relation to workers' protection and care service provision. As a new working context emerges, addressing the teleworkers' demand for care services will be a key requirement to prevent women from having to take responsibility of a larger share of care work, and to avoid the reproduction of traditional gender roles [62]. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on the impact that the social and economic recovery measures implemented will have on inequalities.…”

The non-use of telework in an ideal worker culture: why women perceive more cultural barriers

“…Following from this, our first research question is: To what degree do cultural barriers, besides technical barriers, contribute to the non-use of telework? In an ideal worker culture (Williams et al, 2013), supervisors and co-workers expect employees to be present at the workplace, and employees who make use of flexible work arrangements are often stigmatized (Chung, 2018;Leslie et al, 2012;Lott & Klenner, 2018;Munsch, 2016). Employees might therefore perceive cultural barriers to the use of telework.…”