Work Timing Arrangements in Australia in the 1990s

The timing of work over the day or week is fundamental to the nature of paid work and the interaction between work and leisure. However, due to data limitations, little research has been done on the timing of work in Australia. The Australian Time Use Survey, conducted nationally by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1992 and 1997, provides a unique opportunity to examine actual work timing arrangements in the Australian workforce. The first half of the book examines the incidence, characteristics and growth of work at non-standard times of day during the 1990s, a period of substantial structural and institutional change in the Australian labour market. The second half investigates how dual earner couples with children coordinate their work schedules to reduce their dependence on formal child care. The findings show that the traditional gender division of household labour is evident in the work timing patterns of Australian couples, but for couples where both work full-time, this may be an inefficient response to economic incentives. The book will be of use to academics and policy makers with an interest in the Australian labour market and work and family issues.