Varying impacts of reduced working time on working conditions in France

Opinions vary among employees about the effect of reduced working time on working conditions, according to a new survey from DARES. Professional and technical employees view it positively, while lower income groups report an increased workload.

Since 1996, working time has decreased in France. A survey published in June 2003 by the French Ministry of Employment (research and statistical unit: DARES) shows that employees’ assessments of the impact on their working conditions are not uniform.

• Managers and middle professional groups tend to view the changes resulting from the reduction of working time in a positive light. They are free to organise their working time, new staff have been hired or tasks outsourced, work targets have remained unchanged, and relations with their colleagues have improved.

• A second group representative of employees across all sectors and levels considers that the reduction in working time has made no difference to their work.

• A third group reports that working conditions are in fact getting worse. These are mainly clerical and unskilled workers. They say that they are often obliged to work irregular or varied hours and to strict deadlines. The change in working time has resulted in an increased workload and a loss of control.

Organisational changes

The most frequent organisational changes reported by the employees are:

• increased multi-tasking (48%);

• change in working methods (38%);

• change in tasks (38%);

• use of new technologies (36%);

• introduction of teamworking (32%).

These changes are mentioned by 57% of the managers interviewed and 21% of unskilled workers.

Increased multi-tasking and changes in tasks and working methods are generally viewed negatively - although more so by men than women - while the use of new information technologies and the introduction of teamwork are regarded as an improvement in working conditions.

Workload

Many workers report that their workload often seems to be heavier, especially where no new staff are hired to compensate for the reduction in time. One employee in five reports that production targets have increased, and one in six states that the time allowed to do the work has been cut. Almost half (44%) of all employees report that they have not enough time to do their work.

However, the streamlining of procedures can help employees organise their own work and determine responsibilities. The results of previous working conditions surveys from DARES, analysed in Organisation of working time - Results of Working Conditions surveys 1984, 1991 and 1998 No. 1/2-2000, confirm that employees enjoy a greater freedom to organise their own work. These results underline the positive role reduced working time plays in lessening work stress.

Many employees believe that, since the reduction of working time, they are better organised in their work: 40% of those who feel they have a high degree of autonomy say that their working conditions are improving.

Impact on women

Women managers report the greatest change in their work: 42% feel that their working conditions are improving, while 19% believe that they are getting worse.

The negative impacts of reduced working time are felt most by unskilled women (31%), while 21% in this category find the changes positive.

Work-life balance

With regard to the balance of working and free time, a third of employees say that they are now better able to combine family life and professional life. Four out of 10 workers spend more time with their spouse or partner and 50% of parents with children under 12 devote more time to their children since the reduction in working time.

Source: DARES: « Premières informations et première synthèses», no. 24.1, June, 2003