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

18/12/2008 3

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

18/12/2008 4

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

18/12/2008 5

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

18/12/2008 13

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

18/12/2008 16

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

18/12/2008 19

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)

18/12/2008 25

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

18/12/2008 26

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

18/12/2008 27

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% + - +

18/12/2008 28

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

18/12/2008 29

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: gdb@eurofound.eu.int