Researchers examined the likely effect on British workers of new European Union directives that give people on fixed-term contracts (and, in time, agency workers too) an entitlement to equality in pay and benefits with permanent employees. They concluded that men, not women, will be the major beneficiaries of the new rules.
Source: Alison Booth, Marco Francesconi and Jeff Frank, Labour as a Buffer: Do Temporary Workers Suffer?, Working Paper 2002-29, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Paper (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2002-Dec
An article (the second of two on time-related underemployment and overemployment) focused on the extent of the mismatch between the hours people would prefer to work and the hours they actually work.
Source: Milena Simic, 'Volume of underemployment and overemployment in the UK', Labour Market Trends, October 2002, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: October article (pdf) | August article (pdf)
Date: 2002-Oct
The government began consultation on widening the European working time directive to include around 770,000 workers in currently exempt industries such as rail, aviation, fishing and medicine.
Source: Measures to Implement Directive 2000/34/Ec Concerning Certain Aspects of the Organisation of Working Time to Cover Sectors and Activities Excluded from that Directive, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Consultation document | Press release
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/4, Digest 124, paragraph 7.2
Date: 2002-Oct
A study examined why parents undertake atypical working hours, and the effects on family life. Control over working arrangements depended largely on labour market position, with parents in lower socio-economic groups more likely than those in professional jobs to feel they had no option but to work at atypical times.
Source: Ivana La Valle, Sue Arthur, Christine Millward, James Scott with Marion Clayden, Happy Families? Atypical Work and its Influence on Family Life, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: JRF Findings 982
Date: 2002-Sep
A survey found that the average full-time standard working week is 37.2 hours, and the average basic annual holiday entitlement is 24.5 days.
Source: Hours and Holidays 2002, IDS Study 736, Incomes Data Services (020 7324 2599)
Links: No link
Date: 2002-Sep
A survey found that one in six employees are working more than 60 hours a week, compared with one in eight in 2000. (The survey covered the accountancy, media, voluntary, manufacturing and retail sectors.)
Source: Press release 30.8.2002, Department of Trade and Industry (020 7215 5000)
Links: Press release
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 30/2, Digest 118, paragraph 7.5
Date: 2002-Aug
An article examined underemployment and overemployment. In autumn 2001 almost one in five workers in the United Kingdom (18.9 per cent) would have preferred to change (up or down) their current working hours. A significant majority of them wanted to work fewer hours.
Source: Milena Simic, 'Underemployment and overemployment in the UK', Labour Market Trends, August 2002, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
Date: 2002-Aug
A study examined how organisations with fewer than 500 employees offer their staff flexibility in hours.
Sources: S. Dex and F. Scheibl, SMEs and Flexible Working Arrangements, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: JRF Findings 5102 (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/3, Digest 123 (paragraph 7.4)
Date: 2002-May