European Company Survey 2004

Working time policies, although designed within the national and sectoral framework and the boundaries of institutional regulations, are fine-tuned and implemented at the level of each company, taking account of the environment in which the company operates and the workforce it is employing. Hence, companies have placed more importance on working time organisation in recent years.

Working time arrangements can have a significant bearing on the efficiency and productivity of companies as well as the health, wellbeing and motivation of their employees. This report provides unique insight into the various working time flexibility arrangements currently in place in companies across Europe. It is based on analysing the findings of a large-scale, representative survey carried out in companies with 10 or more employees in 21 European countries in 2004-5. The report looks at whether and how countries differ in their application of flexible working time systems. It analyses the perceived impact of such arrangements on company performance in terms of economic success and employment stability or growth.

The Foundation’s Company Survey on Working Time and Work–Life Balance 2004–2005 set out to map the use of a variety of working time arrangements in companies, to assess the reasons for their introduction and their impact. This analytical report addresses the issue of parental leave as well as other forms of extended leave, such as leave to care for sick children or other adult family members. It offers a comparative review of the different national parental leave systems in operation, the differential use of parental leave by women and men across the 21 European countries and a discussion of the factors which influence take-up of parental leave by employees.

This report analyses the data from the Company Survey on Working Time 2004–2005 to address the issue of extended and unusual working hours, by exploring all aspects of what may be called ‘non-standard working hours’: the extension of working hours through overtime, working at ‘unusual’ times beyond traditional societal standards (such as the ‘9 to 5’ norm), and varying time schedules over the week, month or year involving ‘changing’ working hours. It examines in greater detail the incidence and effects of such working hours across countries, sectors and companies.

This report reveals how widespread part-time employment has become as a working arrangement in many parts of Europe. It looks at the national policies influencing part-time employment and the possible impact of this type of work organisation on labour market flexibility. It also examines the variations in the take-up of part-time work between men and women, as well as profiling part-time workers in terms of pay, career prospects and sectoral distribution. In doing so, the report analyses the effects of this working time arrangement on overall work–life balance.

In recent years, the issue of flexicurity – how to maintain a balance between the needs of companies for more flexibility in employment contracts and the needs of workers for flexible working hours and for security of employment – has shifted to centre-stage in the policy arena. This report looks at the impact of the ongoing trend towards greater flexibility in the European labour market. It explores whether the trend has contributed to a better work–life balance for workers and reveals the long-term effects of working in non-standard contracts and working part time on individuals’ careers, incomes and employment security.

The Foundation’s Company Survey on Working Time and Work–Life Balance 2004–2005 set out to map the use of a variety of working time arrangements in companies, to assess the reasons for their introduction and their impact. This report analyses the data from the survey to address the issue of phased or early retirement, exploring the institutional frameworks of these schemes as well as the influencing factors specific to the establishment. Apart from the issue of whether such schemes are available in the companies examined, the analysis also provides information on the proportion of employees eligible for early or phased retirement and the reasons for making use of such schemes. The deployment of both schemes is examined from a management and employee representative perspective.