WSI examines parents' views on family-friendly workplaces
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 26 October 2004
At a symposium held in Berlin in September 2004, the Institute for Economic and Social Research (Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut in der Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, WSI) presented the findings of a study [1] on the expectations of employees with regard to a 'family-friendly' workplace, which had been conducted in cooperation with the Confederation of German Trade Unions (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB) and the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, BMFSFJ). The study is based on a survey amongst employees who care for children and/or other relatives. Of the approximately 2,000 employees interviewed (from a randomly chosen sample), 58% were women. Of the respondents, 1,915 were working parents, 200 cared for relatives other than children, of whom 82 had no additional children to care for in their household.[1] http://www.boeckler.de/pdf/wsi_klenner_familienfreundlich.pdf
In September 2004, the Institute for Economic and Social Research (WSI) presented the findings of a survey that asked German employees who were responsible for the care of children and/or other relatives about their expectations for a 'family-friendly' workplace. A majority of respondents wanted shorter working time in order to be able to reconcile work and family life and most also expressed an interest in maintaining contact with their company during parental leave. The survey found a widespread wish amongst working parents to have more leave options in the event of a child being ill and the possibility to have extra leave when emergency care is needed for children or relatives other than children. Additional special benefits for employees with children are found in only a minority of workplaces.
At a symposium held in Berlin in September 2004, the Institute for Economic and Social Research (Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut in der Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, WSI) presented the findings of a study on the expectations of employees with regard to a 'family-friendly' workplace, which had been conducted in cooperation with the Confederation of German Trade Unions (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB) and the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, BMFSFJ). The study is based on a survey amongst employees who care for children and/or other relatives. Of the approximately 2,000 employees interviewed (from a randomly chosen sample), 58% were women. Of the respondents, 1,915 were working parents, 200 cared for relatives other than children, of whom 82 had no additional children to care for in their household.
Family-friendly working time given top priority
The interviewees were asked where they saw the most urgent need for action at company level to improve the reconciliation of work and family life. The majority of respondents identified family-friendly working time as the area they regarded as most important or second most important - see table 1 below.
| Subject area | Men | Women |
| Family-friendly working time | 47.2% | 56.9% |
| Financial benefits | 43.7% | 36.7% |
| Family-friendly work climate | 29.9% | 28.9% |
| Leave for the care of relatives (other than children) | 36.8% | 28.6% |
| Organising offers of child-minding facilities | 17.6% | 23.6% |
| Other offers during parental leave | 18.8% | 20.5% |
| None of these action fields important | 12.8% | 11.9% |
*Employees were asked to choose from a list of facilities those that they considered to be the most important and second most important to be provided by the company.
Source: WSI survey 'Familienfreundlicher Betrieb'.
In some companies, voluntary financial benefits are paid, such as allowances for children or lump-sum payments after the birth of a child. These benefits are ranked second in the list of priorities, followed by a 'family-friendly work climate' and leave options for the care of relatives. The latter is particularly interesting given the fact that only 10% of interviewees were involved in the care of relatives (other than children) at the time of the interviews.
The particular importance of suitable working time arrangements for the reconciliation of work and family life is further underlined by the fact that the majority of working parents surveyed expressed the wish to have shorter working time than that effectively worked - see table 2 below.
| Effective working time | Men | Women |
| Shorter working time desired | 76.9% | 54.3% |
| Longer working time desired | 4.3% | 24.2% |
| Working time is in line with desired working time | 18.8% | 21.5% |
Source: WSI survey 'Familienfreundlicher Betrieb'.
There are, however considerable differences between the working time wishes of men and those of women. Whereas 77% of men were in favour of shorter working time only 4.3% wanted to work longer. As for the women, only 54.3% were in favour of shorter working time and 24.2% wished to have longer working times.
The high percentages of men being discontent with their effective working time results to a large extent from the fact that many of them work above their contractual working time, according to the study. On average there is much more contentment with the contractual working time arrangements than with the effective working time - see table 3 below. However, about 40% of respondents wanted shorter contractual hours.
| Contractual working time | Men | Women |
| Shorter working time desired | 40.5% | 39.2% |
| Longer working time desired | 17.7% | 28.5% |
| Contractual working time is in line with desired working time | 41.8% | 32.4% |
Source: WSI survey 'Familienfreundlicher Betrieb'.
Most of the women who wished to have longer working time were part-timers. Asked what they would regard as a desirable weekly working time, the women interviewed expressed the desire to work 25.7 hours per week on average, whereas the men said 37.1 hours per week.
Flexible working time arrangements, if they exist, can ease the reconciliation of work and family life for employees with children. Some 93% of employees interviewed working a flexi-time system used this to adapt their working time to family needs. Where 'accounts' for overtime (time off in lieu arrangements) exist, 89% of respondents said they used them if necessary. Other types of working time account are less frequently used to adapt working time to personal needs, whereas in those cases where employees are given the opportunity to arrange their working time by agreements within a team they make wide use of it.
Whereas women and men make equal use of flexible working time arrangements, amongst blue-collar workers the use of these arrangements for the reconciliation of work and family life is less widespread in comparison with white-collar employees.
Contact with company during parental leave
A great majority of the 659 respondents who made or had made use of parental leave expressed the wish to keep in touch with the company during this time - see table 4 below.
| Want to keep in touch with the company by: | . |
| - personal and/or telephone contact with colleagues | 89% |
| - opportunities to further training | 74% |
| - opportunities to combine parental leave and part-time employment | 78% |
| .- opportunities to work during parental leave as a stand-in for other staff | 69% |
| Nothing of all, I need no contact with the company during parental leave | 4% |
Note: More than one answer possible.
Source: WSI survey 'Familienfreundlicher Betrieb'
However, whereas 69% of the employees concerned said that they had effectively been in touch with the company during parental leave by way of personal or telephone contact with colleagues, only 17% had been offered an opportunity for further training and 29% of the employees concerned had received offers to combine parental leave with part-time employment. Some 29% of respondents said that they had been offered the opportunity to work temporarily as a stand-in during leave.
Concerning 'special benefits' for employees with children, which are offered in a number of companies, the survey asked those employees who cared for children whether those special benefits were offered at their workplace and whether they regarded them as important. Most frequently leave in order to care for sick children was considered important.. This, however, is not always a special benefit provided by the company concerned, as leave to care for sick children is a legal provision and also laid down in a number of collective agreements (TN0403101S). Other benefits are in place in only a small minority of workplaces - see table 5 below.
| % of respondents who said that this benefit existed in the company | Respondents who said that the benefit existed in the company | Respondents who said that the benefit did not exist in the company | |||
| Number | Relevance: important* | Number | Relevance: important* | ||
| Special leave to care for sick children | 53% | 1,020 | 95% | 746 | 91% |
| Facilities to deal with unexpected situations concerning childcare | 21% | 403 | 88% | 1,416 | 83% |
| Financial benefits | 33% | 633 | 84% | 1,118 | 79% |
| Support for finding domestic services | 5% | 92 | 80% | 1,733 | 49% |
| Support to find care facilities or help with organisation of care | 7% | 126 | 77% | 1,714 | 65% |
| Nursing room | 5% | 102 | 71% | 1,766 | 37% |
| Leisure facilities for children | 8% | 151 | 67% | 1,735 | 49% |
| Play-room for children in the company | 6% | 124 | 58% | 1,780 | 36% |
| Children can use the company canteen | 16% | 312 | 52% | 1,541 | 43% |
* 'Important'- percentage of all those who ranked the benefit as either 'very important' or 'fairly important' on a four digit scale
Source: WSI survey 'Familienfreundlicher Betrieb.'
Commentary
The findings of the WSI survey show that employees with children or those who care for relatives have a great interest in working time arrangements and leave options that facilitate adapting their working time to the needs of the family. Most of them would also welcome additional leave options and benefits to further reconcile work and family life. That such facilities and leave options at company level are still rather exceptional and far from being the norm is in line with findings of the 2003 WSI works council survey (DE0407204F) and underlines the necessity for further action by the bargaining parties at company level and by way of legislation to improve this situation. (Heiner Dribbusch, Institute for Economic and Social Research, WSI)
Το Eurofound συνιστά την παραπομπή σε αυτή τη δημοσίευση με τον ακόλουθο τρόπο.
Eurofound (2004), WSI examines parents' views on family-friendly workplaces, article.
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