Part-Time Work and Employee Satisfaction

Abstract or Introduction

Is part-time work the key to happier families? Empirical findings on job-satisfaction and personal happiness of part-time workers. Over the last decades, there has been a large increase of women in jobs and hence an increase in dual earner households. Consequently, a significantly higher amount of stress and pressure on men and women has been observed as it is difficult to combine the duties at work and at home which can reduce the overall quality of life and threat the work-life balance. For many people part-time work can be a solution to this problem especially in industrial nations.

By definition, an employee works part-time if he regularly works fewer hours than a comparable full-time employee. The number of hours varies from state to state and institution to institution. However, there has been an increase in part-time work also in traditionally full-time professions. In Europe about 32% of all women and 8% of men work part-time, though this rate is lowest in eastern countries and highest in northern and western countries. In the USA about 23% of employees work part-time.

But does part-time employment really increase the personal and work satisfaction? Why is the satisfaction higher or lower and what are benefits and disadvantages of part-time work? Moreover, what determines the satisfaction in part-time arrangements apart from influences of work and personal life?