Gender equality and working time in Europe Dr Agnieszka Piasna Senior Researcher European Trade Union Institute www.etui.org E-mail: apiasna@etui.org

Women and men in the labour market: still worlds apart

Employment gap

Change in gender composition Gender segregation Change in gender composition 2013-2017, EU28 Source: Eurostat, own calculations

Educating for jobs of the future Tertiary education graduates by field of study EU28 average (2016) Source: Eurostat

But STEM is a ‘leaky pipeline’ Employment by occupational group EU28 average (2017) Source: Eurostat % of STEM graduates working in an occupation matching their educational qualification (2014) Source: EIGE

Gendered growth in non-standard work

Gender pay gap Gender pay gap in unadjusted form 2006 = 17.7% % of average gross hourly earnings of men (2016) 2006 = 17.7% 2016 = 16.3% Source: Eurostat, based on the Structure of Earnings Survey

“The solution to (nearly) everything: working less” Rutger Bregman

General working time reduction is already happening

Driven by the rise of part-time, short-hour jobs Source: Eurostat

Part-time increasingly employer-driven solution De Spiegelaere S & A Piasna (2017) The why and how of working time reduction, Brussels: ETUI.

What is the impact?

Employer-driven fragmentation of working time A close link between reductions and adjustments/flexibility of working hours Aim to maximise staffing efficiency and achieve a better match between the number of working hours, staffing levels, and workloads Removing ‘slack’ time from paid work hours Risks and costs shifted on workers

Individual WTR: reinforcing existing economic and gender inequalities Source: Eurostat

The downsides of part-time work: segmentation and inequality, entirely paid by workers De Spiegelaere S & A Piasna (2017) The why and how of working time reduction, Brussels: ETUI.

The downsides of part-time work: job prospects De Spiegelaere S & A Piasna (2017) The why and how of working time reduction, Brussels: ETUI.

The downsides of part-time work: employment conditions Fixed-term contract Agency work Other non-standard De Spiegelaere S & A Piasna (2017) The why and how of working time reduction, Brussels: ETUI.

What is the objective?

Long hours have significant negative effects on wlb Work-life conflict How do your working hours fit in with your family or social commitments outside work? % of responses “Not very well” / “Not at all well” Notes: Data from EWCS. Sample: employees, EU28, data weighted, 2005-2015.

Individual preferences converge towards short full-time Gap between desired and actual hours of work of involuntary part-timers (2015) Source: Living and Working in Europe 2017, Eurofound. Based on data from European Labour Force Survey.

Gendered division of unpaid work Gender differences in time spent on childcare and household activities Employed people only with at least one child living in the household EU 28 (2015) De Spiegelaere S & A Piasna (2017) The why and how of working time reduction, Brussels: ETUI.

Unsocial hours of work and work-life balance Work-life conflict How do your working hours fit in with your family or social commitments outside work? % of responses “Not very well” / “Not at all well” Notes: Data from EWCS. Sample: employees, EU28, data weighted, 2005-2015.

Flexibility and work-life balance Work-life conflict How do your working hours fit in with your family or social commitments outside work? % of responses “Not very well” / “Not at all well” Employer flexibility Working time set by employer and employer-led changes to schedule occur (beyond control of a worker) Flexibility for employees Choice between several fixed schedules, or can adapt within certain limits, or hours entirely determined by worker Regular hours Working time set by the employer and no changes to schedule occur Notes: Data from EWCS. Sample: employees, EU28, data weighted, 2005-2015.

How can we achieve it?

Working time reduction for greater gender equality Redistribution through part-time is socially unequal and gender-biased, mostly employer driven There is no one-size-fits-all solution but organised, negotiated and collective reductions ensure positive outcomes for all A reduction in working time could improve gender equality: By increasing the participation of women in the labour market By putting women on a more equal footing with men on the labour market By facilitating a redistribution of caring and household tasks Supply-side and women only policies not an answer (blaming the unsuccessful) Focus on the design of policies and the role of employers

Voluntary, max 10% a year as extra leave. Partial wage decrease Wage increases + Working time 28h/week up to 2 years with only partial compensation; bonus 8 free days (2 paid by employer) 37.5h, constant wages