Flexibility through working time accounts : reconciling economic efficiency and individual time requirements

This paper discusses the tension between the demands of economic efficiency, on the one hand, and non-economic ends (leisure, family, etc.) on the other. It starts by outlining the formative characteristics of flexible forms of working time to then investigate the regulatory structures of working time accounts (Part 3). The argument of relative predominance of economic aspects against private time needs is then examined further. Possible conflicts between goals and uses of the flexible organisation of time are then discussed. --

Competition, flexibility and working hours

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Flexicurity: Reconciling Social Security with Flexibility - Empirical Findings for Europe

It is empirically shown that the more flexible employment, the more it is precarious. For this purpose, two families of indices, of flexible work and of precarious work, are defined basing on the Fourth European Survey of Working Conditions 2005 by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Two methodologies of constructing composite indicators are applied, of the Hans Böckler Foundation, and of the OECD. Both methodologies give very similar results. After the indices have been constructed, the dependence between flexibility and precariousness of work is established by regression analysis with statistical certainty. Besides, it is revealed that the institutional regulation of employment does not necessarily imply the adequate factual effect. For instance, Turkey and Greece with a strict employment protection legislation have a high labour market flexibility due to a large fraction of employees who work with no contract. Among other things, it is shown that the employment flexibility has the strongest negative effect on the employability. It implies serious arguments against the recent reconsideration of the function of social security attempted by the European Commission within the flexicurity discourse. The suggested shift from income security towards a high employability cannot be consistently implemented. Our study provides empirical evidence that a high employability can be hardly attained under flexible employment. --Flexicurity,labour flexibility,precarious work,composite indicators,European Commission,European Employment Strategy

New approaches to working time policy in Germany: The 28,8 hour working week at Volkswagen Company

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Globalization and deregulation : Does flexicurity protect atypically employed?

Hitherto, discussion of flexicurity has focused on normal employment (permanent full-time), with atypical work receiving only cursory attention. Nevertheless, the most affected are just atypically employed (= other than normally employed). To monitor effects of flexicurity policies in Europe, flexicurity indices are constructed from: (a) scores of the strictness of employment protection legislation provided by the OECD, (b) qualitative juridical data on social security benefits (unemployment insurance, public pensions, etc.), and (c) data on the dynamics of employment types (permanent, temporary, full-time, part-time, self-employed, etc.). The empirical investigation shows that, contrary to political promises and theoretical opinions, the deregulation of European labour markets absolutely predominates. Its moderate compensation by advantages in social security occurred only twice: in Denmark and Netherlands at the end of the 1990s. The flexibilization reduces the average employment status, i.e. employees are more often employed not permanently but temporarily, not full-time but part-time, and more frequently they involuntary turn to self-employment. On the other hand, the eligibility to social benefits depends on the employment status. Thereby these trends disqualify employees from social benefits. The apparent compensation of the labour market deregulation by social advantages is therefore insufficient. --flexicurity,labour market flexibility,atypical employment,social security,composite indicators

Changing patterns of working time in Germany - from shorter working hours to more flexible work schedules

La reducción del tiempo de trabajo promete sustanciales efectos sobre el empleo. La reducción del tiempo de trabajo, combinada con la flexibilización del tiempo de trabajo se ha mostrado como una buena experiencia porque permite reducir los costes laborales, mejorar la productividad y mantener el empleo. Los incentivos sobre las contribuciones sociales pueden contribuir no sólo a la mejora del empleo, sino también a reducir la carga del gasto público por desempleo. Sin embargo, esta política de reducción y flexibilización del tiempo de trabajo es también una fuente de conflicto por cuanto comporta reducción de salarios. El reto en la gestión del tiempo de trabajo es como "controlar la flexibilidad."__________________________The reduction of working time promise substacials employment effects. The reduction of working time, combined with flexibilisation of working time shows as a good experience because allows reducing labour cost, improving productivity and maintained employment. The incentives on social contributions can contribute not only to improve employment, but also to reduce the burden of social public expense for unemployment. Nerveless, this policy of reduction and flexibilisation of working time also is a way of conflict because means also reduction of wages. So, the challenge it is how "control the flexibility.

Flexibility through working time accounts: reconciling economic efficiency and individual time requirements

"This paper discusses the tension between the demands of economic efficiency, on the one hand, and non-economic ends (leisure, family, etc.) on the other. It starts by outlining the formative characteristics of flexible forms of working time to then investigate the regulatory structures of working time accounts (Part 3). The argument of relative predominance of economic aspects against private time needs is then examined further. Possible conflicts between goals and uses of the flexible organisation of time are then discussed." (author's abstract

Arbeitszeitpolitischer Modellwechsel : Von der Normalarbeitszeit zu kontrollierter Flexibilität

Regulierte Flexibilität bietet Ansätze, auch außerbetriebliche Zeitanforderungen zu realisieren. Der nachfolgende Beitrag will die These der regulierten Flexibilität der Arbeitszeit näher ausführen. Zunächst skizziert er die prägenden Grundströmungen flexibler Arbeitszeitformen (Kapitel 2), um anschließend die Regelungsstrukturen von Arbeitszeitkonten zu untersuchen (Kapitel 3). Die anschließenden Überlegungen gehen der Frage nach, welche ökonomischen Faktoren die Flexibilisierung der Arbeitszeiten vorantreiben (Kapitel 4). In welchem Maße die Flexibilisierung der Arbeitszeit Spielraum für Zeitsouveränität lässt, zeigen die Ausführungen in Kapitel 5. Abschließend werden mögliche Zielkonkurrenzen flexibler Zeitgestaltung diskutiert (Kapitel 6). --