Decent Working Time for Women and Men: Balancing Workers’ Needs with Business Requirements Jill Rubery European Work and Employment Research Centre Manchester Business School University of Manchester

Standard working time as decent working time? Standard working time regular, 5 day week daytime working important labour standard, limiting the power of employers, guaranteeing continuous work and income and providing for shared family time But increasingly viewed as a rigid form of work organisation- not attuned to lean production, the 24/7 service economy etc and based on male breadwinner model of work- full- time continuous employment with limited opportunities to adjust working hours to meet family and personal commitments.

Moving beyond standard working time But are current trends towards diversification of standard working time promoting gender equality? Criteria for gender quality Opportunities for both men and women and parents/non parents to reconcile work and personal life commitments over the life course Working-time preferences should not exclude employees from types of jobs, promotion opportunities etc. New working time arrangements should not promote work intensification/ reduced income and social security protection etc.

Different patterns of working time diversification Results-based full-time work from standard hours to results –based contracts- long, unsocial and unpredictable hours Fragmented part-time work Fragmented and variable schedules Employee-oriented diversification Reduced hours Flexible scheduling Remote working

Problems of recent trends for gender equality Results-based--- Extended/unpredictable hours Women less able to choose to stay on in full-time work-risk that both partners facing long and unpredictable hours Results-based contracts create problems for offering reduced hours work in higher level jobs Risk of marginalisation on so-called ‘mommy tracks’ if opt for reduced hours Need to tackle long hours culture and presenteeism in order to provide quality part- time/flexible work options that do not disadvantage women

Problems of recent trends for gender equality Fragmented time Increased problems of reconciliation if need to be available for flexible scheduling Loss of guaranteed income, social protection and risk of increased work intensification Employee-oriented diversification-swimming against the tide? Trends to results-based work and fragmented-time means that employee-oriented flexibility may be more difficult to introduce Increases risks of marginalisation within high intensity careers

Paradoxes if present trends continue Towards dual earner households and towards extended and unpredictable working hours Towards higher educated women and their concentration in low quality part-time jobs Towards increased health and longevity –but less time to spend with your young children

Rethinking the framework for working time regulation Improved sustainability is in the interests of both employers and employees. Need re-regulation in order to: Utilise and retain potential- both women and men Open up opportunities over the life course and reduce pressure to succeed when young Focus on changing organisational practices and men’s behaviour-tackle the long hours culture Adopt regulations at pan-national and national level that require employers and trade unions to think more innovatively about new ways of organising work and working time

If equal opportunities policies beneficial for employers, is intervention at international and national level still necessary? Reasons why employing organisations may not take action Inertia/ influence of custom and practice and received wisdom Focus on short term costs/ discount longer term benefits Managers are mainly men and may not perceive the problems Costs not evenly distributed across organisations/sectors Employers need to know that competitors are also being required to change Not all benefits captured by organisations- society also benefits from higher and more sustainable employment/better utilisation of talent pool/ maintenance of fertility rate etc.