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Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) from 1979 to 2008, this study examines how employment precarity is associated with the transition to first marriage. Building upon research on precarious work and economic determinants of marriage, I employ various measures of precarious work, including health insurance coverage, the provision of pension benefits, and part-time work. Results from the discrete-time hazard models show that precarious work delays men's marriage entry more than women's. For men, all indicators of precarious work decrease the odds of first marriage by up to 40%. Compared to men, women's entry into first marriage is delayed when they have part-time employment. My study findings contribute to the theoretical discussions of the causes of family inequality, which have suggested the precarization of work and associated deterioration of job quality as one of the leading influences on the retreat from marriage. Further, results of this study indicate that the spread of precarious work has profound social consequences through its impact on family formation. In light of limited empirical research on the impact of precarious work on non-work-related outcomes, subsequent research needs to continue examining how employment precarity and family inequality are intertwined with various substantive foci across societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the type of activities carried out by young people in a range of jobs that are typically undertaken by school students. The research examines opportunities for skill development in these jobs. Design/methodology/approach – The research consisted of a nationally representative survey of school students. Multivariate analysis was used to examine the variables which predict the likelihood that a school student will be employed in a job which has a higher “job activity score” as measured by the frequency and number of activities undertaken. Findings – In total, 38 per cent of school students were working at the time of the survey. The survey demonstrates the diversity of the employment experiences and the opportunities it provides for skill development. The analysis supports the view that this first exposure to employment may offer opportunities for skill development. Unlike previous research in Britain the study is able to explore the extent of variations between jobs. Practical implications – The data demonstrates the extent to which school students combine full-time education with part-time employment and the value of this experience. This raises questions about whether schools should engage with naturally occurring employment experiences. Originality/value – The paper uses a unique British data set to investigate what school students do in their part-time jobs, extending the hitherto limited research in this area. By addressing this issue the paper contributes to the debate regarding the value of this early exposure to the world of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the nature and level of flexible employment in the National Health Service (NHS) by investigating the extent to which part-time work and job sharing arrangements are used in the provision and delivery of health care. It attempts to analyse the reasons for an increasing number of part-timers and a very limited number of job sharers in the NHS and to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each pattern of employment. Data collected through the use of questionnaires and interviews from 55 NHS trusts reveal that the use of part-time work is a tradition that seems to fit well with the cost-saving measures imposed on the management of the service but at the same time it has led to increasing employee dissatisfaction, and that job sharing arrangements are suitable for many NHS employees since the majority of them are women with a desire to combine family commitments with career prospects but a very limited number of employees have had the opportunity to job share. Therefore it is concluded that to attract and retain the quality of staff needed to ensure high performance standards in the provision and delivery of health care the NHS should accept the diversity that exists within its workforce and take a more proactive approach to promoting a variety of flexible working practices and family-friendly policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part-time work in Japan, as in other countries, is increasing as a form of paid work. There are, however, significant differences developing out of Japan’s gender contract. Employers have created a gendered employment strategy which has been supported by governments, through social welfare policies and legislation, and the mainstream enterprise union movement which has supported categorisations of part-time workers as “auxilliary” despite their importance at the workplace. An analysis of one national supermarket chain indicates that part-time work as it is constructed in Japan does not challenge the gendered division of labour but seeks to lock women into the secondary labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive research has examined sources of influence on employee turnover in the full-time work context. Far less research attention has been given to addressing sources of influence on turnover in the part-time work scenario. The aim of this study was to examine sources of influence on turnover among part-time employees. Survey data were collected from 412 part-time employees in the military reserves. The results of this study draw attention to a number of important sources of influence on turnover among part-time employees. The findings suggest that the same set of factors that influence turnover among full-time employees may not equally influence part-time employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employers' demands for cheap and flexible labour which can multi-task, make decisions and act responsibly are being met by an increasing supply of students to the part-time labour market who are having to work due to financial necessity during term-time. This article details the results of a survey and focus group study conducted at Manchester Metropolitan University in February 1999 addressing the nature of this employment relationship. Students' employment provides them with advantages other than money — valuable work experience, the opportunity to meet people and to take on responsibility. Employers benefit from an easily recruited workforce of intelligent, articulate young people who are numerically and functionally flexible, conscientious, accepting relatively low pay, and who are easy to control. Potential conflict is indicated as students do articulate dislikes about their work and employment conditions, yet they feel unable to challenge their employers about them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows that, in general, graduate applicants seeking their first career jobs do not possess the personal, transferable and employability skills which employers require, and Dearing has recommended that most HE students should undertake work experience to remedy this limitation. This article describes the Working for Skills project run by Leeds Metropolitan University and several major local employers. Some 20 "skills and attributes", identified primarily from independent research projects, are presented to students in a workfile. The workfile addresses two principal areas: experiential learning, and the use of (principally) work experience to grow the identified skills and attributes. A simple model of experiential learning is presented to help students to analyse their work experiences and build awareness of the identified skills and attributes. The article also reports on pilot trials, student feedback and discusses some of the problems associated with this type of material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses the findings of a recent study of professional women returning to work after a career break. It critically examines their return to work following attendance of a European funded updating course, and evaluates the initiative in terms of job and career success in terms of the women's own perceptions. The study showed that the majority of women resumed work following the updating programme, but not necessarily at a level commensurate with their qualifications and experience, nor in their original professional area. Paradoxically, the respondents did not always see this as a negative outcome, and a large proportion of them attributed their successful return to completion of the professional updating course. The paper concludes by suggesting that a traditional female career model has not only continued relevance for women, but may be increasingly relevant to men. This presents a challenge to both policy makers and course providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puts the focus on the possible relations between part-time work and organisational commitment. An empirical study, using data from ten Norwegian institutions caring for the elderly, concludes that part-time work has both direct and indirect effects on different types of commitment. First, and contrary to what was expected, it seems as though affective commitment decreases as the hours worked approach that of a full-time job. Second, part-time arrangements have an indirect effect on several types of commitment through the degree of participation in the organisation's decision processes. Part-time workers participate less, and seem to exhibit less affective, and higher continuance commitment. Effects of these findings on outcomes, such as plans to leave the organisation, the voicing of criticism, loyalty to the organisation, and withdrawal and apathy among workers, are discussed. Implications for human resource management are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part-time working is still primarily a female activity, associated with lower organizational position, lower pay, and fewer training opportunities. Development, training and education models that reflect the values and assumptions of traditional (male) working patterns are not sufficiently flexible for organizations of today nor do they meet the needs of part-times. This paper explores some of the factors associated with the development of this group of workers, who appear to experience particular barriers to learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employers can be forgiven for a continuing sense of confusion over pension rights for part-time workers. While UK tribunals and courts hand down decisions which limit rights to retrospective membership, the European Court of Justice seems to open the door to the maximum number of claims. This paper attempts to clarify the issues and to set out the realities for employers and their advisers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part-time workers (a quarter of all employees in Britain) are one section of the "atypical" workforce singled out for attention by the EC Commission. Examines directives on atypical workers issued as part of the Social Charter's Social Action Programme. Assesses the likelihood of directives' provisions being adopted. Discusses the decisions of the European Court of Justice, which may have a profound impact on part-time work, whether or not the directives are adopted, and outlines developments in employer and union policy on part-time workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the reasons why food retailers currently employ predominantly part-time staff from the employers' perspective based on both primary and secondary research. It examines the reasons and considers the differences between part-time and full-time staff in terms of ratio, equal treatment and capacity in which part-time staff are employed. The impact of new legislation is briefly reviewed. Lessons from the food retail industry, where flexibility in terms of part-time staff has been commonplace for many years, can be applied to other sectors and employment practices in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]