118/12/2008
Quality of Work and Employment in EuropeQuality of Work and Employment in Europe
Working time and workWorking time and work--life balance life balance in European companiesin European companies
David FodenDavid FodenResearch ManagerResearch Manager
EurofoundEurofound
18/12/2008 2
Some general info on the surveySome general info on the survey
Coverage: - 15 ‘old’ MS of the European Union - 6 NMS (Czech Republic, Cyprus, Latvia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia)
Telephone interviews in over 21,000 workplaces
Establishments with 10 or more employees, across all economic sectors : random selection
personnel managers and – where available – employee representatives
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What do we want for workWhat do we want for work--life life balance?balance?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Introduction or extension of flexi-time or working-time accounts
Introduction or extension oflong-term leave options
A general reduction inweekly working hours
Introduction or extension of opportunitiesfor phased retirement
Introduction or extension of opportunities for early retirement
Reduction of overtime or introductionof time-off in lieu
Introduction or extension of opportunitiesto work part-time
No action needed
Better possibilities to change from un-usual hours to normal working hours
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Flexible time arrangementsFlexible time arrangementsFlexible working time arrangements exist in almost half (48%) of companies with 10 or more employees in Europe
A larger proportion of companies in the services sector (50%) than in industry (43%) report the existence of some form of flexibility
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FlexiFlexi--time arrangements in Europetime arrangements in Europe
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
CY
PT
EL
HU
BE
SI
IT
ES
NL
LU
FR
ALL 21DK
DE
AT
CZ
IE
PL
UK
FI
SE
LV
Possibility to use accumulated hours for longer periods of leave Possibility to use accumulated hours for days off Possibility to accumulate hours, but no full days off
Possibility to vary start and end of daily work, no accumulation of days
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Flexible time arrangementsFlexible time arrangementsThe two main reasons cited by managers for introducing
flexible working arrangements were ‘enabling employees to better combine work and family (or personal) life’ (68%) and ‘better adaptation of working hours to the establishment’s workload’ (47%)
Both managers and employee representatives report higher job satisfaction as the main outcome of the introduction of flexible working times, followed by a better adaptation of working hours to the workload
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The The effectseffects of of flexitimeflexitime
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Reduction of paidovertime
Better adaptationof workloads
Lowerabsenteeism
Higher jobsatisfaction
Other positiveeffects
Communicationproblems
Rise of costs Other negativeeffects
All Managers Managers with corresponding Employee-Representative-Interview Employee Representative
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% establishments w ith any part-timers (base: All establishments)
share of part-tim
ers pe
r estab
lishm
ent (ba
se: e
st. w
ith part-tim
e em
ploy
ees)
DK
IT
IE
BE
UK
EL
SI
DE
NL
AT
PT
SE
PL
FR
CY
LUHU
ES
CZ
100%
40%
0%
FI
LV
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Forms of partForms of part--time worktime work
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Average Scandinavia Western Europe Anglo-Saxonia Mediterranean Eastern Europe
Some fixed hours every day Other fixed cycles Flexible hours on demand Other forms/DK/NA
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Switching to partSwitching to part--time (skilled)time (skilled)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
United Kingdom
Sweden
Netherlands
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Austria
France
EU21
Ireland
Germany
Latvia
Spain
Poland
Finland
Luxembourg
Italy
Slovenia
Hungary
Cyprus
Portugal
Greece
Easy to switch Possible, after some time Possible, only exceptionally Practically no chance Never happened
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PartPart--time worktime workA significant proportion of both employee representatives (41%) and managers* (27%) stated that working part-time had a negative impact on career prospects
* 34% of managers in establishments whre an employee representative was interviewed
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CareerCareer prospectsprospects of partof part--timers compared to timers compared to fullfull--timers with comparable qualificationstimers with comparable qualifications
1% 1% 0%
61%
57%
49%
16%
22%25%
11% 12%
16%
11%9% 10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
All managers Managers with corresponding employee-representative interview
Employee representatives
Better than those of full-timers About the same Slightly worse Significantly worse Don't know/No answer
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FamilyFamily--related leaverelated leaveIn half of all companies (51%) in the survey, at
least one employee has availed of parental leave in the three years preceding the interview
On average, 30% of the establishments with recent experience of parental leave reported that one or more male employees took parental leave
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FamilyFamily--related leaverelated leaveNational systems/ culture : very important here
Possibility / length / generosity
Training programmes to facilitate the re-integrationof employees returning to work after an extended period of leave are offered by about 22% of all companies
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Companies in which fathers taking parental leaveCompanies in which fathers taking parental leave
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
SE SI FI PT NL BE UK LU DK IE FR EU21 EL IT ES DE LV AT PL HU CZ CY
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Long term leavesLong term leaves
53%
37% 36%
26%
47%
32% 32%
22%
71%
55%
51%
38%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Total leaves* For the care of elderly, ill or disabledrelatives
For further education For any other purpose
Average Private sector Public Sector* without parental leave
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Retirement Retirement Phased retirement schemes are offered in about 37% of companies in the surveyPhased retirement is more likely to be found in countries that have broad experience of part-time employment than in countries with little experience of such workEarly retirement schemes are more widespread: 48% of companies surveyed offer thisThe incidence of early retirement is particularly high
in the education sector (72% of establishments), in financial intermediation (63%) and healthcare (61%)
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Typology of working time flexibilityTypology of working time flexibilityType of WT-flexibility
% of organisations 14% 22% 18% 7% 18% 21%
Indicators
part-time workers (>20%) + + + + - -
irregular hours - + - + -
flexible working hours (>20%) + - + - -
overtime (>20%) + + - + -
parental leave + + - - - -
long-term leave available + + + - - -
early retirement option + + + - - -
facilities for work-life balance + + + + - -
flexible contracts + + - - -
See also Table A in handout
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High flexibility, worker orientedHigh flexibility, worker oriented
% o f e s ta b lis h me n ts
1 7 .0 to 3 3 .0 (6 )1 0 .5 to 1 7 .0 ( 1 0 )
2 .9 to 1 0 .5 (5 )
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High flexibility, firm orientedHigh flexibility, firm oriented
% of es tablishments
25.2 to 28.6 (6)20.8 to 25.2 (8)12.8 to 20.8 (7)
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Intermediate flexibility: lifeIntermediate flexibility: life--coursecourse
% of establishments
19.8 to 35.0 (9)14.4 to 19.8 (8)
5.6 to 14.4 (4)
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Intermediate flexibility: dayIntermediate flexibility: day--toto--dayday
% of es tablishments
9.8 to 12.1 (5)2.9 to 9.8 (11)1.1 to 2.9 (5)
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Intermediate flexibility: overtimeIntermediate flexibility: overtime
% of establishments
21.5 to 32.3 (7)13.3 to 21.5 (8)
6.7 to 13.3 (6)
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low flexibilitylow flexibility
% of es tablis hments
33.1 to 50.8 (6)18.8 to 33.1 (7)
7.4 to 18.8 (8)
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Distribution of company types within Distribution of company types within industry and servicesindustry and services
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Industries (NACE C-F) Services (NACE G-O)
% o
f est
ablis
hmen
ts
high flexibility, workeroriented
high flexibility, firmoriented
intermediateflexibility, lifecourse
intermediateflexibility, day-to-day
intermediateflexibility, overtime
low flexibility
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Distribution of company types within Distribution of company types within private and public sectorprivate and public sector
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
private s ector public s ector
% o
f est
ablis
hmen
ts
high flexibility, workeroriented
high flexibility, firmoriented
interm ediateflexibility, lifecours e
interm ediateflexibility, day-to-day
interm ediateflexibility, overtim e
low flexibility
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Relation of WT flexibility toRelation of WT flexibility to firmfirm’’s performances performance
High Intermediate Low
worker- oriented
firm- oriented life-course day-to-day overtime
Economic situation very good 16% + -
Personnel size increased 34% + + - - -
Problems finding skilled staff 35% + - + -
Problems retaining staff 9% + -
Low motivation of staff 16% + - - + -
Social climate very strained 4% +
Work-life balance very difficult 6% + - +
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Summing upSumming up
•Based on observed practices in ESWT: 6 types of firms regarding WT-flexibility
•Typology is more subtle than ‘more vs. less flexible’working time flexibility is not a 1-dimensional concept
•Substantial variation within and between countries
•No strong relation between high flexibility and ‘performance’ differences between types of flexibility at least as important
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Further informationFurther informationEuropean Foundation website www.eurofound.eu.int
Company survey page http://www.eurofound.eu.int/areas/worklifebalance/eswt.htm
Publications http://www.eurofound.eu.int/publications/index.htm
Or email Camilla Galli da Bino: [email protected]