Scheduled at the margins: antecedents and consequences of nonstandard work schedules

Thesis

The past 50 years have seen the erosion of working time regulations and transitions to service-based economies throughout most of Europe. This has led to, amongst other things, a growth in the proportion of the labour force employed in nonstandard work schedules. These are defined as work schedules falling outside of the traditional 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday work week. Given that such work arrangements can overlap with – and, in many cases, monopolize – the hours traditionally reserved for family life, the aim of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive investigation into the ways in which families use and are affected by nonstandard schedules, focusing on the previously understudied but highly relevant context of the UK.

Over the course of four empirical chapters, I explore the composition and occupational characteristics of nonstandard schedule workers, the effects that these schedules take on work-family balance, and the ways in which preferences and endowed traits play a large role in shaping which individuals select into and stay in these arrangements. The thesis is unique in the extensive scope with which nonstandard work schedules are studied: I move all the way from the molecular level to the individual level and then up to the country level to showcase the antecedents, consequences, and institutions relevant to the study of nonstandard work schedules and families in the UK and beyond.

This thesis makes several contributions to the existing body of knowledge on nonstandard work schedules and family life. First, I show the many channels of self-, socioeconomic, and occupational selection underlying employment in nonstandard schedules, and present ways to account for these selection mechanisms when studying outcomes relating to work-family balance. Second, I highlight that the consequences of nonstandard schedules on family life are not necessarily universal, but instead depend partially on the country and institutional context in which they are studied. Third, I integrate molecular genetic data to show how the timing of one’s circadian rhythm influences preferences for nonstandard work hours, suggesting that such arrangements can be advantageous – and even optimal – for certain individuals.

Authors: Taiji, R

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-vg8qv4ybd
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Mahalanobis Distance Matching; Work-family balance; Nonstandard work schedules; Multilevel Modelling; Mendelian Randomization
• Subjects: Sociology