1 Sunday Working and Family Time in Australia – The lessons learnt from analysing time-diary data Michael Bittman Social Policy Research Centre University of New South Wales AUSTRALIA

2 Extent of Sunday working

3 Data source uThe 1997 Time Use Survey (Australian Bureau Of Statistics, 1998a, 1998b). vmulti-stage area sample of private dwellings vfour collection periods evenly timed throughout the year, one during each season. vdiaries on designated days, to ensure equal representation of each day of the week vfinal sample 4,555 households, 8,618 persons, 14,315 diary days

4 Proportion who worked for 2 hours on a ‘usual day’ by day of week - Currently employed working age (15-64 years)

5 Comparison of with best ABS Labour Force Survey data (currently employed persons, aged years, 1997). % Working Arrangements Survey % Time Use Survey Total working weekdays Total working some weekend days Indeterminate15.3

6 Proportion persons aged year by day of week (worked for 2 hours on a ‘usual day’)

7 Trend

8 Metropolitan employed persons aged 20-59

9 Effect working on a Sunday has on other activities

10 The rhythm of everyday activities by day of the week Currently employed working-age Australians

11 The impact of Sunday work on currently employed working-age Australians

12 The effect Sunday working on time spent with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours

13 Average minutes per day of social contact

14 Do Sunday worker compensate for there ‘losses’ on weekdays?

15 Number of working-age Australian’s weekday diaries by days worked last week N Did not work any day last week2459 Worked only weekdays last week2956 Worked Saturday last week1737 Worked Sunday last week1032

16 OLS regression coefficients (mins./day) relative to those working weekdays only (net of family composition, occupation, industry and gender) * P <.05, ** P<.005, ***P <.0005 Time spent eating with family members Family leisure time Leisure time with children Leisure time with friends, etc Worked Sunday last week 4.03* Worked Saturday last week *0.63 Did not work any day last week 22.43***64.32***59.37***-1.11

17 Conclusions

18 Conclusions uSunday is still a very special day, many activities especially reserved for Sundays vrest, vRecreation v and association with significant others

19 Conclusions (continued) uThe overwhelming majority of the workforce is not working on a Sunday vTime spent in employment reduces further than an other major activity on a Sunday

20 Conclusions (continued) uSunday workers typically put in a full working day vTypically over 7 hours vThis creates great difficulties in coordinating with the schedules of most others, whose availability is highest on Sunday

21 Conclusions (continued) uSunday workers miss out of key activities vReduced rest vReduced recreation vReduced social contact with significant others vReduced civic engagement vLess time for domestic catch-up

22 Conclusions (continued) uSunday workers are unable to compensate for the activities foregone on a Sunday by doing them during the week vOnly significant compensation replaces the 50 minutes lost eating with family members on a Sunday with 4 minutes extra on a weekday vOtherwise the activities of Sunday workers on a weekday are no different to those who only work on weekdays vTo say this in reverse: The weekday activity pattern of those who do no work on any day is significantly differently from those who work on a Sunday

23 Conclusions (continued) uIn Australia at the beginning of 21 st century working on a Sunday is justifiably described as working unsociable hours. uExisting research shows that this pattern of reduced social contact with family and community is associated with undesirable outcomes in child development, family relationships and community participation, perhaps health.