Gender norms and the perception of workers who use flexible work arrangements

This project aims to investigate whether workers who use flexible work arrangements are assessed negatively by their coworkers. Flexible work arrangements, which allow workers to decide where and when they work, are often presented as a solution that helps parents balance their professional careers and domestic duties. However, there is the other side of the coin. Workers who use flexible work arrangements may be perceived by their colleagues as less committed and less effective. It can lead to lower earnings and worse career development opportunities.

Moreover, we will investigate:

• whether men who use flexible work arrangements are assessed differently than women,
• whether the attitudes toward gender roles in the labour market can influence these assessments.

We will conduct an online vignette study where participants will evaluate fictional workers using flexible work arrangements. This study can inform decision-makers about flexible work arrangements’ benefits, challenges, and consequences. It is particularly important as the EU Directive on “work-life balance”, which recently came into force, emphasizes the need to promote flexible work arrangements among workers.