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Research on part‐time work has concentrated over many decades on the experiences of women but male part‐time employment is growing in the UK. This article addresses two sizable gaps in knowledge concerning male part‐timers: are men's part‐time jobs of lower quality than men's full‐time jobs? Are male part‐timers more or less job‐satisfied compared to their full‐time peers? A fundamental part of both interrogations is whether men's part‐time employment varies by occupational class. The article is motivated by the large body of work on female part‐timers. Its theoretical framework is rooted in one of the most controversial discussions in the sociology of women workers: the "grateful slave" debate that emerged in the 1990s when researchers sought to explain why so many women expressed job satisfaction with low‐quality part‐time jobs. Innovatively, this article draws upon those contentious ideas to provide new insights into male, rather than female, part‐time employment. Based upon analysis of a large quantitative data set, the results provide clear evidence of low‐quality male part‐time employment in the UK, when compared with men's full‐time jobs. Men working part‐time also express deteriorating satisfaction with jobs overall and in several specific dimensions of their jobs. Male part‐timers in lower occupational class positions retain a clear "lead" both in bad job quality and low satisfaction. The article asks whether decreasingly satisfied male part‐time workers should be termed "ungrateful slaves?" It unpacks the "grateful slave" metaphor and, after doing so, rejects its value for the ongoing analysis of part‐time jobs in the formal labor market.

One of the most pressing issues contributing to the persistence of gender inequality is the gendered division of domestic labour. Despite their entry into paid employment, women still carry out more domestic work than men, limiting their ability to act on an equal footing within the workplace. This qualitative research adds to the ongoing debate concerning the reasons for the persistence of the gendered nature of domestic work, by comparing working women who earn more, those who earn around the same and those who earn less than their male partners, as well as examining women's absolute incomes. On average, men whose partners earn more than they do carry out more housework than other men, although women in these partnerships still do more. However, these women actively contest their male partner's lack of input, simultaneously 'doing' and 'undoing' gender. The article also identifies class differences in the 'sharing' of domestic work.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a brief summary of a series of papers presented at the gender, class, employment and family conference, held at City University, London, in March 2008.Design/methodology/approachThe conference involved 25 papers presented by invited speakers, and the report is based on summary notes, observations and conference abstracts.FindingsThis report summarises a range of contributions, theoretical and empirical, to the continuing debates on gender and class inequality in Britain, Europe and the USA. The evidence presented not only demonstrated the persistence of gender and class inequalities, but also provided a critique of the "individualisation" thesis. The contribution of both normative and material factors to gender inequality was extensively explored. The discussions focused upon a series of tensions and contradictions – between "sameness" and "difference" feminism; choice and constraint; capitalist markets and the human requirement for caring work.Originality/valueMany of the papers drew on original empirical research, both quantitative and qualitative, using sophisticated methodologies. Longitudinal findings (cohort studies) were well represented, as were cutting‐edge theoretical contributions.

Both women and men strive to achieve a work and family balance, but does this imply more or less equality? Does the persistence of gender and class inequalities refute the notion that lives are becoming more individualised? This book documents how gender inequalities are changing and how many inequalities of earlier eras are being eradicated

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons for the apparent "under‐achievement" of mothers working in accountancy, even when at similar levels of qualification to those of fathers.Design/methodology/approachAnalysis of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales membership dataset was carried out, as well as semi‐structured work‐life interviews with ten male and ten female chartered accountants with children.FindingsThe paper finds that women do not progress in accountancy to the same extent as men, and earn considerably less. The qualitative evidence suggests that some residual gender discrimination is still present, but more important are the difficulties in combining paid employment with family responsibilities, particularly for those in higher‐level positions. Part‐time and flexible working carries with it a penalty in relation to both earnings and organisational status. The interviews do provide some evidence of change, however.Practical implicationsWhile men (and women) continue to work very long hours in the UK, while the gender pay gap persists, and while women continue to take on the majority of childcare and housework, women are also likely to "choose" to work below their abilities, especially when economic pressures are not a primary issue.Originality/valueBy adopting a mixed‐methods approach, the paper highlights that, while workplace‐related barriers still hinder mothers' career progression in accountancy, the division of domestic labour is at least, if not more, important.

Introduction -- Working time trends and work-life balance in Europe since the onset of the Great Recession / Colette Fagan and Greet Vermeylen -- Work-life balance, health and well-being in times of austerity / Gail Kinman and Almuth McDowall -- Employer support for work-life balance in recession : findings for britain from the workplace employment relations survey / Lucy Stokes and Stephen Wood -- Work-life balance and austerity : implications of new ways of working in British public sector organisations / Clare Lyonette, Deirdre Anderson, Suzan Lewis, Nicola Payne and Stephen Wood -- Regulating work and care relationships in a time of austerity : a legal perspective / Nicole Busby and Grace James -- Trade unions and work-life balance : the impact of the Great Recession in France and the UK / Susan Milner -- Work-life balance and class : in search of working-class work-lives / Tracey Warren -- Self-employment in times of economic crisis : work-life challenges / Laura den Dulk, Anne Annink and Bram Peper -- The physical workplace and work-life balance : perspectives from practice / Ziona Strelitz -- Revisiting the dual agenda : why companies miss the point if they retract flexible work arrangements during bad times / Hyosun Kim, Lotte Bailyn and Deborah M. Kolb -- Towards a triple agenda for work-life balance beyond recession and austerity / Deirdre Anderson, Jonathan Swan and Suzan Lewis -- Index

This book reflects the enormous interest in work-life balance and current pressing concerns about the impacts of austerity more broadly. It draws on contemporary research and practitioner experiences to explore how work-life balance and related workplace and social policy fare in turbulent economic times and the implications for employees, employers and wider societies. Authors consider workplace trends, practices and employment relations and the impacts on work, care and well-being of diverse workers. A guiding theme throughout the book is a dual agenda of supporting employee work-life balance, workplace effectiveness and social justice. The final chapters present case studies of innovative processes and organizational practices for addressing the triple agenda, note the important role of social policy context and discuss the challenge of extending debates on work-life balance to include a social justice dimension. This book will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students of organisational psychology, sociology, human resource management, management and business studies, law and social policy, as well as employers, managers, HR managers, trade unions, and policy makers.