Working-Time flexibility and Union Dissolutions: Evidence for couples in Germany

Anna Kałamucka (), Anna Matysiak and Beata Osiewalska
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Anna Kałamucka: University of Warsaw, LabFam - Interdisciplinary Centre for Labour Market and Family Dynamics
Anna Matysiak: University of Warsaw, LabFam - Interdisciplinary Centre for Labour Market and Family Dynamics

No 2025-28, Working Papers from Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw

Abstract: Objective: This study examines the relationship between men's and women's working-time flexibility and relationship dissolutions (cohabitating and married couples) in Germany. Background: Globalisation and technological advancements have popularised flexible working hours, necessitating a deeper understanding of their implications on family dynamics and relationship stability. Employee-oriented flexibility, which allows workers to adjust their schedules to meet family needs, generally supports work-family balance and reduces conflict, yet it can also blur the boundaries between work and personal life and may reduce family time. On the other hand, employer-oriented flexibility, characterised by unpredictable hours, can heighten marital strain and increase the risk of relationship dissolution. Method: Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), the final sample consists of 15,519 cohabiting and married couples, and the number of relationship dissolutions during the analysed time period is 1,463. The study employs event history analysis to explore the relationship between working-time flexibility and relationship dissolutions, differentiating by gender, parental status and the age of the youngest child. Results: Preliminary results indicated that employee-oriented flexibility of men tends to lower the risk of dissolution among couples with more than 2 children, especially when they are young, highlighting its benefits in facilitating family responsibilities. Any significant results on employer-oriented flexibility have not been found in comparison to fixed schedules. Conclusion: Fathers’ more than mothers’ working-time flexibility relates to lowering the risk of relationship dissolutions, especially when children are young and in families with two or more kids, suggesting that men’s control over their schedules may facilitate greater involvement at home and alleviate care burdens on women.

Keywords: working-time flexibility; couples; flexible hours; dissolutions; Germany (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J11 J17 J18 J24 J81 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 31 pages
Date: 2025
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur and nep-lab
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:war:wpaper:2025-28

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