Working less by choice: what are the benefits and hardships?

IF 3.6 Q2 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy Pub Date : 2022-01-21 DOI:10.1080/15487733.2021.2023292
Ola Persson, J. Larsson, Jonas Nässén
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引用次数: 11

Abstract

Abstract Working time reduction (WTR) is a policy that could improve quality of life while reducing environmental impacts. However, WTR coupled with a salary reduction may benefit only higher-income earners and increase social inequalities. Against this background, we analyze how the motivations for and the socioecological outcomes from working less vary across different socioeconomic groups. The analysis is based on a survey conducted among municipal employees under full-time contracts who utilized the City of Gothenburg’s “right to part-time” policy. We find that working less improved quality of life not only for higher-income groups but also for lower-income groups through gains in time affluence, energy, health, and time spent on strengthening social ties. However, three negative effects emerged. First, WTR lead to increased work intensification, particularly among higher-income earners. Second, concerns regarding making ends meet and future retirement income were particularly salient issues among lower-income earners. Finally, WTR to cope with unfavorable working conditions was a much more common motivation among manual workers with lower salaries. We conclude that WTR can be a viable option across a broader range of socioeconomic groups than previously assumed but that it is nevertheless important to consider the effects on social inequality when designing WTR policies.
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选择少工作:好处和困难是什么?
减少工作时间(WTR)是一项既能提高生活质量又能减少环境影响的政策。然而,WTR加上减薪可能只会使高收入者受益,并增加社会不平等。在此背景下,我们分析了不同社会经济群体减少工作的动机和社会生态结果是如何变化的。这一分析是基于对哥德堡市“兼职权”政策下的全职市政雇员进行的一项调查。我们发现,减少工作不仅能提高高收入群体的生活质量,还能通过增加时间、精力、健康和加强社会关系的时间来提高低收入群体的生活质量。然而,出现了三个负面影响。首先,WTR导致工作强度增加,特别是在高收入者中。其次,对收支平衡和未来退休收入的担忧在低收入者中尤为突出。最后,在工资较低的体力劳动者中,为了应对不利的工作条件而辞职的动机更为普遍。我们的结论是,WTR可以在比之前假设的更广泛的社会经济群体中成为一种可行的选择,但在设计WTR政策时考虑对社会不平等的影响仍然很重要。
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来源期刊
Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy
Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy Social Sciences-Geography, Planning and Development
CiteScore
12.00
自引率
0.00%
发文量
54
审稿时长
27 weeks
期刊介绍: Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy is a refereed, open-access journal which recognizes that climate change and other socio-environmental challenges require significant transformation of existing systems of consumption and production. Complex and diverse arrays of societal factors and institutions will in coming decades need to reconfigure agro-food systems, implement renewable energy sources, and reinvent housing, modes of mobility, and lifestyles for the current century and beyond. These innovations will need to be formulated in ways that enhance global equity, reduce unequal access to resources, and enable all people on the planet to lead flourishing lives within biophysical constraints. The journal seeks to advance scientific and political perspectives and to cultivate transdisciplinary discussions involving researchers, policy makers, civic entrepreneurs, and others. The ultimate objective is to encourage the design and deployment of both local experiments and system innovations that contribute to a more sustainable future by empowering individuals and organizations and facilitating processes of social learning.
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