THE EXPERIMENTS OF REDUCED WORKING HOURS IN FINLAND

Abstract

This paper examines experiments of shorter working hours in Finnish municipalities between 1996 and 1998 in terms of the effects of the experiments on work–family interaction and which of the ways of reducing working time had the most positive effect. We analyse the experiment in respect of the Finnish working time regime, and in addition, from the perspective of community time. The analysis combines questionnaire and interview data. The results indicated that the experiment had a positive effect on work–family interaction. Six-hour shifts, in comparison to other forms of working time reductions, had the strongest impact on the decrease in conflict arising from work and affecting family. The interviews demonstrated various effects of the working time experiment on family, including the negative effects caused by unsocial working hours and the loss of time autonomy at work among the highly educated. Furthermore, reduced working hours in a culture based on the principle of full-time work caused some negative effects, such as feelings of guilt. The impact of the experiment on community time depended on the way the experiment was implemented.

Cet article analyse les expériences de durée limitée du travail dans les municipalités finlandaises entre 1996 et 1998; les effets de telles expériences sur l'interaction emploi–famille et la détermination parmi les méthodes préconisées pour réduire le temps de travail de celles ayant l'effet le plus positif. Nous analysons l'expérience par le biais du régime de temps de travail en Finlande et, en outre, selon la perspective du temps communautaire. L'analyse se fonde sur des données d'interview à la fois quantitatives (deux types de données dans le questionnaire) et qualitatives. L'expérience a eu un effet positif sur l'interaction vie professionnelle–vie familiale. Les résultats indiquent que les périodes de six heures de travail, en comparaison avec d'autres formes de réduction du temps de travail, ont eu le plus d'effet sur la diminution des conflits engendrés par le travail et affectant la vie familiale. Les interviews démontrent les nombreux effets de l'expérience du temps de travail sur la famille, y compris les effets négatifs causés par la perte d'autonomie de temps au travail parmi les couches les plus éduquées ainsi que par un horaire de travail gênant. De plus, la réduction de l'horaire de travail dans une culture fondée sur le travail à temps complet a quelques effets négatifs, tels les sentiments de culpabilité. L'impact de l'expérience sur le temps communautaire a donné des résultats variés, dépendant en grande partie de la méthode utilisée pour une telle expérience.

Keywords:

• work
• time
• work-family interaction
• community time
• reduced working hours
• le travail
• le temps
• l'interaction emploi-famille
• le temps deville
• reduction du temps de

Notes

Timo Anttila (PhD) is a researcher in the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. His research interests include working time, knowledge work and time use. Address: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland. [email: [email protected]]

Jouko Nätti (PhD) is senior researcher and lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä. His research fields are new forms of employment, working time, unemployment, job insecurity, knowledge work and time use. Address: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland. [email: [email protected]]

Mia Väisänen is a researcher and a postgraduate student in the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Her main research interests are increase of non-standard employment and households, and work–family interface. Address: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, PO Box 35, 40351 Jyväskylä, Finland. [email: [email protected]]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Timo Anttila

Timo Anttila (PhD) is a researcher in the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. His research interests include working time, knowledge work and time use. Address: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland. [email: [email protected]] Jouko Nätti (PhD) is senior researcher and lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä. His research fields are new forms of employment, working time, unemployment, job insecurity, knowledge work and time use. Address: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland. [email: [email protected]] Mia Väisänen is a researcher and a postgraduate student in the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Her main research interests are increase of non-standard employment and households, and work–family interface. Address: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, PO Box 35, 40351 Jyväskylä, Finland. [email: [email protected]]