Nonstandard work schedules and work-life balance

Abstract

Working hours significantly influence the amount of time devoted to other areas of life. In fact, "free time" is often defined as time spent "off work." School schedules, television programming, and programming of cultural activities all tend to be coordinated outside the standard working hours in the majority of the active population. These work hours typically take place during the day from Monday to Friday and are commonly referred to as the "nine to five" schedule. However, due to changes in demographic (e.g., population aging), economic (e.g., increased competitiveness in markets and economic globalization), technological (e.g., greater computerization of jobs), and sociocultural factors (e.g., greater participation of females in the labor market and consumer expectations of extended periods of operation of services), an increasing implementation of different working hours has been observed. In general, such arrangements have been designated as "nonstandard work schedules." This chapter, based on a review of literature, aims to describe and discuss the main positive and negative impacts of nonstandard work schedules on the lives of individuals, especially in terms of family and social life. Specifically, the following work schedules will be examined: shift work, splitshift schedule, compressed workweek, and part-time and flexible working hours. The chapter concludes with recommendations for intervention.