Flexible Men and Successful Women: The Effects of Flexible Working Hours on German Couples’ Wages

Work hour flexibility is believed to help couples manage career and family demands. The German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) is unique in following both the flexible employee and their partner over time. The study utilizes this feature to investigate whether the take-up of work hour flexibility...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Work, employment and society employment and society, 2018-08, Vol.32 (4), p.687-706
Main Author: Langner, Laura Antonia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Articles: Gender Inequalities at Work and at Home
Couples
Dual career couples
Flexibility
Flexible hours
Mothers
Parents & parenting
Socioeconomic factors
Wages & salaries
Wives
Women
Working hours
Working mothers
Working women
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Summary:Work hour flexibility is believed to help couples manage career and family demands. The German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) is unique in following both the flexible employee and their partner over time. The study utilizes this feature to investigate whether the take-up of work hour flexibility is detrimental for the flexible employee’s wage development. Men and women benefit from flexible working hours. For women, this positive wage effect occurs late, suggesting that, unlike men, they must first prove their commitment. Moreover, it tests for the first time whether flexible workers’ partners profit from the increased couple-level flexibility. The positive crosspartner effect for the inflexible partner is particularly pronounced for mothers’ wages, suggesting that men may use flexible working hours to support their wives’ careers. These measures are not necessarily used more frequently by those in need (e.g. parents or women). Instead, they seem to be accessed by those in sought-after positions.
ISSN:0950-0170
1469-8722
DOI:10.1177/0950017017708161