When employers reward 'ideal' workers, gender equality suffers

• But this element of his behaviour wasn’t the only concerning workplace problem highlighted by the report.
• It’s hardly surprising, then, that many organisations value and require long hours, even if they are inefficient.
• Inefficiently long hours could also contribute to low productivity, as well as promoting gender inequality at work and in the home.

Work flexibility versus career progression

• During this time, those who can’t work excessive hours could miss out on career opportunities.
• Any kind of work flexibility can come at a high price in terms of career progression, as I found in my study of professional and managerial women’s exit from work, conducted with organisational psychologist Emma Cahusac.
• We found that even women who continued to work full-time after having a child were disadvantaged because in professional and managerial work, full time often means being available any time.
• Many women are pushed into less interesting work because face time and on-call availability are disproportionately rewarded.

Working fewer hours

• I conducted a study with University of Luxembourg sociologist Robin Samuel which showed that on average even male breadwinners – the main beneficiaries of the long hours system and those who actually work the longest hours – would prefer to work fewer hours for less pay.
• Further, when male breadwinners want to work fewer hours, our research shows it’s often because they feel their jobs interfere with their family lives.
• Some people may see working long hours as linked to being robust, high-achieving, results-driven and demanding, others believe it diminishes employees and degrades the workplace environment.