News Finding: The researchers suggest this increase may be because part-time working mothers feel the need to work longer to compensate for the possible stigma, perceived or otherwise, attached to them by other workers, especially when their schedules do not match normal working hours.
Paper Finding: We argue that these arrangements measure flexible working primarily aimed to enhance performance outcomes.
News Context: Notably, though, the research also found that although full-time working mothers did not appear to increase their unpaid overtime, part-time working mothers did work more unpaid overtime, with an average of around 20 minutes more a week, which was surprising. The researchers suggest this increase may be because part-time working mothers feel the need to work longer to compensate for the possible stigma, perceived or otherwise, attached to them by other workers, especially when their schedules do not match normal working hours. It may also be that part-time working mothers have a greater ability to work unpaid overtime compared to full-time working mothers.
Paper Context: Understanding Society data captures workers access to and use of the arrangements specified in this legislation, including flexitime and teleworking, which we understand as arrangements aimed primarily to enhance the work-life balance of workers. We argue that these arrangements measure flexible working primarily aimed to enhance performance outcomes. Again, despite the possibility of these arrangements indirectly enabling the achievement of the other goals, we expect that the primary goals of these arrangements may shape the way they influence the outcomes.