Work, flexibility and family: a (im)perfect combination

Abstract

The flexibility of labor relations raises new ways of organizing productive sphere. Regarding the workday, companies have more liberty to extend, reduce or change the schedule and days of work. For male and female workers, this practice causes changes in daily activities and family dynamics. The unpredictability in work time seems to make it difficult for women to articulate the work and family spheres, since they remain the main responsible for housework and care within families. This article aims to understand how the flexibility of work time affects the daily lives of women workers and what strategies are used by them to articulate both spheres. The analysis is part of research conducted with both male and female telemarketing and super/hypermarket workers.