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Book Cover for: The Flexibility Paradox: Why Flexible Working Leads to (Self-)Exploitation, Heejung Chung

The Flexibility Paradox: Why Flexible Working Leads to (Self-)Exploitation

Heejung Chung

Does flexible working really provide a better work-life balance?

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, flexible working has become the norm for many workers. This volume offers an original examination of flexible working using data from 30 European countries and drawing on studies conducted in Australia, the US and India. Rather than providing a better work-life balance, the book reveals how flexible working can lead to exploitation, which manifests differently for women and men, such as more care responsibilities or increased working hours.

Taking a critical stance, this book investigates the potential risks and benefits of flexible working and provides crucial policy recommendations for overcoming the negative consequences.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Policy Press
  • Publish Date: Sep 1st, 2022
  • Pages: 270
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 9.21in - 6.14in - 0.57in - 0.84lb
  • EAN: 9781447354789
  • Categories: Sociology - GeneralHuman Resources & Personnel ManagementPublic Policy - Social Policy

About the Author

Chung, Heejung: - Heejung Chung is Professor of Work and Employment in King's Business School at King's College London.

Praise for this book

"... In addition to its scholarly qualities, The Flexibility Paradox is of great value to society at large because of the social project it represents." Etnofoor
"... three decades after the publications of The Second Shift (1989) by Hochschild and The Overworked American (1992) by Schor, Chung's book provides a necessary update on the state of work and leisure, particularly in light of the social changes wrought by the global pandemic." Social Forces

"...a welcome and timely contribution to the disciplines of sociology, social policy, and management studies. Readers interested in gender inequalities in the interface between work and family life would find this book interesting and informative... an excellent primer for anyone researching or studying flexible working." Gender, Work and Organization