Uneven Grounds: Class, Gender, and the Social Distribution of Work Flexibility

Nelson Lay-Raby (), Hanns de la Fuente-Mella, Juan Felipe Espinosa-Cristia and Gonzalo Ríos-Vásquez
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Nelson Lay-Raby: Facultad de Educación y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar 2531015, Chile
Hanns de la Fuente-Mella: Instituto de Estadística, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (N.D.-L.), Valparaiso 2340031, Chile
Juan Felipe Espinosa-Cristia: Escuela de Ingeniería Comercial, Departamento de Ingeniería Comercial, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaiso 2390123, Chile
Gonzalo Ríos-Vásquez: Facultad de Ingeniería, Escuela de Ingeniería Industrial, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaiso 2340025, Chile

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-21

Abstract: This article analyzes the unequal distribution of perceived work flexibility in Chile, drawing on data from the 2023 National Time Use Survey (ENUT). Using multilevel multinomial logistic regression models, this study explores how individual and contextual variables shape the likelihood of perceiving jobs as fully flexible, partially flexible, or non-flexible. The findings reveal that flexibility is a stratified experience: women are more likely to access partial—but not full—flexibility; workers with higher educational attainment report lower perceptions of flexibility, and longer working hours are associated with diminished flexibility. Among the contextual factors, occupation stands out as the strongest predictor, explaining a substantial share of variance across the models. Employers are more likely to report full flexibility, while dependent workers tend to experience only limited forms of autonomy. These results challenge the notion of flexibility as a universally empowering feature of modern labor markets, underscoring the need for policies and organizational practices that address the structural inequalities embedded in flexible work arrangements.

Keywords: work flexibility; labor market inequality; multilevel modeling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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