Flexibility involves loads of workarounds
IT SOUNDS like the dream — a family-friendly workplace that promotes flexible hours.
In many ways it is just a dream, because a new study has found the reality is vastly different.
La Trobe University spoke to more than 4000 parents in different occupations and found 86 per cent of the study participants relied on catch-up strategies to manage work and family responsibilities.
It also found 62 per cent of parents received or sent family-related phone calls or emails at work, 59 per cent worked through breaks to leave work on time, 47 per cent used their break time to attend to family matters or errands and 42 per cent of parents performed household-related tasks at work.
While both mothers and fathers used these strategies, the study revealed gendered patterns, lead researcher Dr Stacey Hokke from La Trobe’s Judith Lumley Centre said.
“We know that mothers often work part-time and fathers are more likely to work long hours,” Dr Hokke said.
“Our research suggests that mothers accommodate family by compressing their workday, missing breaks and working after hours to fit everything in, while fathers have to accommodate family within long workdays by performing family-related tasks at work.”
When analysing the relationship between employment and mental health, researchers found parents who had formal flexible work arrangements suffered less occupational fatigue and burnout.
Working parents who relied on informal, ad hoc arrangements had worse mental health.
Dr Hokke said needed to be aware entitlements.
“Under the Fair Work Act, employees with caring responsibilities, which includes parents with school-age children or younger, are entitled to ask for flexible work arrangements,” she said.
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