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The essay addresses the issue of the relevance of time for the purpose of qualifying the employment relationship. In particular, it examines the profiles of relevance regarding the element of the contractual performance continuity and of the working times availability and variability, also in the light of the many ideas for reflection offered by the evolution of the legal system (and, in particular, by the most recent legislative interventions)

The author focuses on working time of artist workers, observing that the latter are permanently involved in their activity which is not limited to the time taken by their artistic renditions or performances. The precarious nature of the artistic profession is, in this respect, an opportunity to reflect over the rules of working time and their compatibility with artist work.

Taking “agile work” as a starting point, the essay analyzes the changes that the spread of new ways of working are bringing about to the notion of working time. The author first analyzes, in the light of domestic and unieuropean law, the efforts made to adapt the notions of working time and rest time to the changed production system, so as to enable their concrete measurement and curb the phenomenon of time porosity. The author also emphasizes the innovative scope of agile work at the systemic level, noting that the absence of time and place constraints can have a major impact on the notion of “subordinate employment”.

The article seeks to answer the following question: since Article 36 of the Constitution requires remuneration to be proportionate to the amount of work performed, should remuneration necessarily be calculated on a time basis? The A. answers the question positively by first examining the characteristics of work performance and then its object.

Abstract Background Shift work, i.e., non-standard work hours, has been associated with both short- and long-term sickness absence. However, findings are inconsistent and inconclusive. Thus far, no comprehensive meta-analytic synthesis on the relationship between shift work and sickness absence has been published. The aims of the planned systematic review and meta-analysis are (1) to establish whether shift work is associated with sickness absence, (2) to determine if specific shift work characteristics relate to sickness absence (e.g., length and frequency of spells), and (3) to identify moderating factors affecting the relationship between shift work and sickness absence. Methods Eligible studies will be identified using a predefined search strategy in several electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsychInfo, EMBASE, and ProQuest) and comprise peer-reviewed papers reporting original empirical findings on the association between shift work and sickness absence. Mainly observational studies with cross-sectional, prospective, or retrospective research design and case-control studies will be included. Risk of bias will be assessed using an adapted checklist previously employed to evaluate studies on sickness absence. To carry out the meta-analytic synthesis, a random effects meta-analysis will be conducted using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. The review and meta-analysis will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Heterogeneity will be evaluated by Cochran’s Q test and the I 2 statistics. Discussion The review and meta-analysis will be the first to conduct a meta-analytic synthesis of the evidence on the association between exposure to shift work and sickness absence, as well as identify relevant moderators affecting the relationship between shift work and sickness absence. Aggregation of the existing evidence will improve the knowledge on the association between shift work and sickness absence. Such knowledge can be used to guide scheduling of shift work to promote work schedules that are less detrimental to health and contribute to reduced sickness absence and higher work- and leisure-time productivity. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42022301200

In this article, the suitability of subordination, understood as being made available to the employer, was analyzed to determine what should be considered as working time. In the Peruvian system, what is working time is understood in opposition to rest time. This dichotomy is overcome by various intermediate situations that require a criterion that allows us to qualify when we are faced with working time; and, therefore, grant the employee the protection that this fact generates. It was suggested that, from a temporary point of view, subordination implies that period that the employee makes available to the employer for its legitimate use in the interest of the company and in which it is possible that the employer exercises any of the faculties of the steering power. This lapse of time also carries with the affectation of the employee's ability to freely manage this lapse in his particular interest. It was concluded that such way of understanding the subordination has sufficient and suitable elements to classify, case by case, a situation as working time. To reach this conclusion, not only the current regulation of working time was based on, but also the main pronouncements of the administrative and judicial courts of the highest hierarchy of Peru were examined in which this criterion was used to grant protection to the employee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Law & International Relations / Relações Internacionais no Mundo is the property of Relacoes Internacionais no Mundo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

2023/12 The commute time of an itinerant sales employee between their home and the sites of their first and last customers can in some cases be considered as effective working time (FR): After several years of resistance, the French Supreme Court has decided to implement – at least partially – the position of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the commute time of an itinerant employee between their home and the first and last customer of the day. This commute time can qualify, under certain conditions, as effective working time and should be remunerated as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Labour Law & Social Policy Issues / Z Problematyki Prawa Pracy i Polityki Socjalnej is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Slaskiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Energy saving and emission reduction have become the consensus of the global development. Electric construction machinery has drawn more and more attentions due to its zero emission and high efficiency. However, because of the installed capacity of the battery, the complex working conditions and the time-varying load of construction machinery, the working time of electric construction machinery is hard to estimate. It is important to accurately predict the remaining working time of the whole machine to ensure that the driver can reasonably arrange the operation time. In this paper, the electric loader is studied. To improve the estimation accuracy of the working time of electric loader, the typical working conditions are analyzed. The data of V-type working mode cycles of the actual experimental prototype, which provides the basis for the segmentation of working conditions and the extraction of characteristic parameters are analyzed. The fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm is used, an estimation method of operation energy consumption based on working condition identification is proposed. The results show that the energy consumption estimation method based on the motor average torque proposed in this paper has better estimation accuracy than the traditional estimation method based on the latest unit time energy consumption.

The increased digitalization of activities in recent years has induced to a significant evolution of situations in which work is performed remotely. Beyond the benefits, a number of risks can be identified, and among them are the aspects regarding the evidence and management of working time. Law no. 81/2018 on telework activity is definitely adequate in many aspects. But, also, it contains issues that can be improved regarding: the risk of setting up restrictive conditions in the internal regulations concerning the establishment of the work schedule or the verification of the activity of teleworkers by union representatives, concrete regulations on working time records, protection against excessive fragmentation of working time, the fair balance between the professional and private life of the teleworker (is not enough taken into account), the right to disconnect (is not settled) etc.

This study examines how different participation rights and structures affect employee control over working time. The analysis is based on a comparison of matched call center and technician workplaces in two major telecommunications firms in Germany and Denmark. It draws on data from semi-structured interviews with managers, supervisors, and employee representatives between 2010 and 2016. Unions and works councils in both firms agreed to a series of concessions on working time policies in the early 2010s in exchange for agreements to halt or reverse outsourcing. The authors use Lukes’ concepts of decision-making and agenda-setting power to explain these common trends, as well as later divergence in outcomes. Germany’s stronger formal co-determination rights over working time proved a critical power resource for employee representatives as they sought to re-establish employee control in new, more flexible working time models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Felling of natural forest trees in West Papua Province is carried out mechanically using a chainsaw by applying a selective cutting silviculture system. This study aimed to determine the elements of working time, productivity, and cost of felling as well as factors influencing felling activities using the chainsaw in the tropical natural forests in West Papua, Indonesia. The felled trees are dominated by the meranti wood species group with a minimum diameter of 45 cm. The average volume of the felled tree is about 4.205 m3/tree. The result showed that total felling time ranged from 15.3 to 18.3 min/tree with an average of 16.7 min/tree. The effective felling time was 11.8 min/tree (70.86%) and the delay time was 4.9 min/tree (29.14%). Felling time in making undercuts was on average 1.7 min/tree (9.98%), longer than back cuts time of 1.10 min/tree (6.39%). Total felling time was influenced by various variables: tree diameter, buttress height, and slope. Felling productivity was accounted for between 14.901 m3/h and 17.067 m3/h (15.778 m3/h on average). Felling costs ranged from 3.366 USD/h to 3.473 USD/h with an average of 3.407 USD/h or equivalent to 0.209 USD/m3 to 0.238 USD/m3 with an average of 0.225 USD/m3. To improve the effectiveness of felling time and productivity, this study suggests (1) upgrading the skills of the chainsaw operators through formal or in-house training in felling techniques, and (2) ensuring chainsaw operators bring a tree distribution map completed by field conditions information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: At least half of surgical complications can be avoided by using surgical checklists. However, universal implementation and compliance have been reported as being variable. Patients undergoing urgent surgical intervention are at increased risk for complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the checklist compliance together with the complication rate during day and night shifts in a European University hospital. Methods: 51 and 52 consecutive patients who had surgery during day and night shifts were included. The primary outcome measures were compliance and completeness of the WHO safety checklist. The occurrence of postoperative complications was investigated. Results: The analysis included 103 surgical procedures. The mean compliance rate of use was 93% and the mean completeness rate was 22%. After operations were broken down by day or night shift, we found that checklists were less often available in night shifts compared to day shifts. The completeness of the checklist and the occurrence of postoperative complications did not differ between day and night shifts. Conclusion: This study reports worse checklists availability in night shifts when compared to day shifts, but complication rates did not increase. Further studies are warranted to investigate postoperative complication rates together with checklist compliance in day versus night shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last one or two decades, flexibility has clearly been the buzzword of labour law, with the objective to ensure that labour law regulations leave their traditional boundaries marked by very strict, imperative norms, thus better responding to the needs of the 21st century. Obviously, the basic assumption has been that a more flexible working relationship is useful and necessary both for employers and employees and they all play a more important role in the elaboration of the labour contract. From the point of view of flexibility, working time and the work-rest ratio respectively are of key importance. Therefore, the narrative according to which flexible working hours are ideal especially for women raising (small) children is not alien to us. In our short study we will analyse the instruments by which Romanian labour law regulations facilitate the balancing of working and rest time for women employees, especially for women employees raising small children. For this purpose, we will summarize the regulation of working time in force, certain problems raised by home office or teleworking, as well as the special labour law instruments that may play a role in achieving work-life balance. Finally, within the context of transposing Directive (EU) 2019/1158 on worklife balance into national legislation, we will also sketch some preliminary ideas regarding the changes that are expected in this respect in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Worktime is one of the main drivers of life satisfaction, and a balanced distribution of working hours and leisure hours directly impacts feelings of well-being. Based on previous studies, we seek to confirm this relationship in the European context and explore other potential driving forces of life satisfaction. Health condition as the mediating variable is also examined. Methods: This article uses an ordered probit model to analyze the impact of working time on life satisfaction using data extracted from the most recent round (wave 10) of the European Social Survey (ESS). Hypotheses are proposed to test the impact of working time on life satisfaction, the mediating effect of health in the worktime–satisfaction nexus, and the effects of social inclusion, social trust, feelings of safety, and digitalization on life satisfaction. Results: The results reveal a negative and significant correlation between hours of work and life satisfaction, thus implying that a shorter working week can improve Europeans' life satisfaction. Health is found to be an important intermediate variable that plays an essential role in the dynamic through which working times influence life satisfaction. Further, we find that those in the middle class prefer to work shorter hours to achieve a higher feeling of satisfaction and that high earners to a lesser extent, while low earners generally show no preference. Employees of private firms are more satisfied with shorter working hours, while satisfaction for those working in public institutions is not affected by changes in hours worked. Finally, we verify the robustness of our estimations by replacing life satisfaction with happiness. Conclusions: Working fewer hours contributes to higher life satisfaction in Europe, and health plays an essential mediating role in this relationship. Social inclusion, social trust, feelings of safety and digitalization all play a factor in improving life satisfaction. Compared to other job categories, private sector employees can achieve greater life satisfaction from reducing their total working time. Highlights: ➢ Ordered probit model is used to analyze worktime-satisfaction nexus in Europe. ➢ A shorter working schedule can improve life satisfaction. ➢ Health plays a mediating role in worktime-satisfaction nexus. ➢ Trust, social inclusion, safety and digitalization can promote life satisfaction. ➢ Private firm employees prefer shorter work weeks while others show no preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several working time characteristics have been linked to negative outcomes for health personnel. The aim was to investigate the impact of working time dimensions on well-being in a representative sample of physicians. Data was collected during a baseline study. Linear regression analysis was performed on a sample including 669 physicians of different medical specialties. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics and information on working time dimensions (e.g. shift work). In addition, job satisfaction, workload and self-reported health were explored. The majority were female, working in internal medicine and the mean age was 42.5 years. Findings reveal that overtime hours (β = −0.478, p =.011) and autonomy (β = 0.444, p <.001) were significantly associated with job satisfaction. The number of free weekends (β = −2.622, p =.005) and autonomy significantly predicted personal (β = −6.153, p <.001), work-related (β = −6.597, p <.001) and patient-related workload (β = −4.731, p <.001). Overall health was only affected by working time autonomy (β = 3.804, p <.001). In conclusion, the study suggests that working time characteristics have negative consequences for well-being and need to be addressed to ensure health, performance and safety of physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Istanbul Medipol Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Istanbul Medipol University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

How has the experience of managerial work changed in the digital age? This two-phase (2002–2006, 2015–2019) study addresses this question by examining how middle managers perceive the spatio-temporal boundaries of their work to have shifted. Typically, such managers report change occurring in two directions: (i) the contractual employment boundary becoming stretched as hours completed inside the workplace increase; and (ii) this boundary becoming breached as managers conduct additional work voluntarily from locations outside corporate premises. Although such trends can be explained deterministically – the former stemming from corporate acceptance of consultancy-influenced organizational prescriptions (business process reengineering, lean management, agile management etc.), and the latter from widespread adoption of digital communication innovations (BlackBerry, email, WhatsApp etc.) – we argue that to achieve a more rounded appreciation of such work 'extensification' attention must also be paid to agentic forces of strategic and political choice. Developing this argument, and acknowledging paradox when theorizing spatio-temporal change, we suggest future research on managerial employment must entail documenting not only factors influencing the stretching and breaching of work boundaries, but also – given incipient political regulations and innovative surveillance technologies – others serving to strengthen and protect them, notably those directed at improving work–life balance and physical/psychological health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate acute effects of roster characteristics on fatigue and sleep quality and investigated whether these effects differed by individual characteristics. METHODS: Using an ecological measurement assessment survey, fatigue and sleep quality were daily measured among 223 shift workers for up to eight weeks. A questionnaire assessed baseline characteristics, and roster data were retrieved from the company registers to determine roster parameters. The effects between each shift parameter on fatigue and sleep quality were estimated with random- and fixed-effects models. RESULTS: Compared to day shifts, night shifts were related to fatigue [β=0.22; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05–0.39] and poorer sleep quality (β=0.64; 95% CI 0.47–0.80), and more successive night shifts with more fatigue (up to β=0.68; 95% CI 0.49–0.87 for ≥2 nights). Fatigue was increased after a quick return (16 hours between shifts. Compared to forward rotation, stable (β=0.22; 95% CI 0.01–0.43) and backward rotation (β=0.49; 95% CI 0.23–0.74) were also associated with more fatigue. Workers with a morning or intermediate chronotype had poorer sleep quality after a night shift, while workers with poor health reported poor sleep quality as well as more fatigue after a night shift. CONCLUSIONS: To alleviate acute effects of shift work on fatigue, shift schedules should be optimized by ensuring more time to recover and rotate forwards.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are leading causes for sick days and long-term disability, and nurses are amongst the most affected. While long weekly work hours can increase MSD risk, the role of specific shift schedule characteristics in healthcare is poorly understood. For this narrative review, 236 abstracts published since 2008 were screened, and 15 retained manuscripts are summarized for an updated synthesis of the current evidence. In addition to long work hours, we identified night and shift work as MSD risk factors, the latter especially for low back pain. Some studies showed workload and individual factors as effect modifiers. Evidence for specific work schedule characteristics was often not available or of limited quality, hampering the ability to draw further conclusions.

The aim of this article is to describe and provide analysis on the implementation, enforcement and application of the EU labour law norms implemented by the Labour Law regarding certain fields, particularly, gender equality, non-discrimination, working time, obligation to inform and consult workers’ representatives and protection of young people at work. The article elaborates only on certain aspects of the mentioned fields of the EU labour law, mainly from the perspective of national courts’ rulings with an aim to provide an insight on the legal developments arising from judicial application of the EU law norms and interpretation of national law in the light of the EU law.

This paper gives an overview of how well the Baltic States have introduced the European flexibility policy in their overtime work regulations, to meet the goals of European Commission strategy “Europe 2020”. In this work, an analysis from the flexibility aspect is carried out, regarding how the overtime work in Baltic States is defined, what kind of restrictions have been established regarding the form of overtime agreement, time limits and persons, also what kind of overtime work compensation mechanisms are being used in the Baltic States. In the article good flexibility practice is pointed out, and the problem areas concerning overtime work are analysed. Additional suggestions are given, how the overtime work regulations in Baltic States can be made even more flexible.

Soybean meal-based adhesives (SMAs) commercially applied in wood-based composites require stable bonding properties. However, the structure and properties of SMAs are not as stable as synthetic resins, which significantly affect their performances. In this study, the structure–property evolution of a SMA with working time was systematically investigated. The findings revealed that the secondary structure, microstructure, crosslinking density, zeta potential, nitrogen solubility index, viscosity, wood permeability, and bonding properties of SMA considerably vary with working time. The changes in adhesive properties were correlated with the dissolution of SM particles in crosslinker solution and the increased pre-curing of liquid SMA with working time resulting from the crosslinking reactions between the dissolved SM and the crosslinker. Preferably, SMA at the working time between 0.5 h and 3 h since the mixing of soybean meal flour with crosslinker solution, should be used in order to ensure the desired water resistance of plywood panels for engineered wood flooring. And an application strategy was proposed to ensure the required water resistance of plywood panels for manufacturing engineered wood flooring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robots are heralded as part of a new revolution in agriculture. The agricultural robot's capacity to reduce working time or improve working conditions is often advanced as a major contribution to sustainable agriculture. But the transformations of work appear to be more complex. Here we review the transformations of work subsequent to adoption of agricultural robots on the farm. We carry out a systematic review of literature using a multidisciplinary analytical framework of transformations of work. We consider four dimensions of work: 1) farm structure and the labor market; 2) work organization; 3) meaning of work; and 4) technical-economic performances. Given that the deployment of robots in agriculture is still in its early stages, most of the studies concern the automated milking system (AMS). The transformations of agricultural work represent an emerging topic dominated by a technical and economic vision of work. The major points are as follows: Concerning farm structures, we find no evidence of a relationship between robotization and a certain farm size. Concerning the labor market, there is a risk of skill- and wage-related segmentation and exclusion. The AMS is an example of an in-depth re-organization of work with a decrease in the physical workload but which is concomitant with a new mental workload of monitoring alarms. Concerning the meaning of work with AMS, the changes in the animal-human relationship lead to the possibility of new identities and new self-perceptions by farmers and workers. There is no evidence to support a reduction in working time when an AMS is installed. Finally, a synthesis of the results allows us to propose a research agenda that can better orient future research to understand the diversity of transformations of work resulting from the adoption of robots in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospital physicians' work includes on-call duties to provide 24/7 health care. Previous studies using self-reported survey data have associated long working hours and on-call work with sleep difficulties. To reduce recall bias, we complemented survey data with payroll-based objective data to study whether hospital physicians' realized working hours are associated with sleep.Methods: The study was nested within the Finnish Public Sector study. We used survey data on 728 hospital physicians (mean age 43.4 years, 62% females) from 2015 linked to realized daily working hour data from 3 months preceding the survey. The associations of working hour characteristics with sleep quantity and quality were studied with multinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted for demographics, overall stressfulness of life situation, control over scheduling of shifts, and hospital district.Results: One fourth (26%) of the participants reported short (≤6.5 h) average sleep duration. Frequent night work (> 6 shifts/91 days) was associated with short sleep (OR 1.87 95%CI 1.23-2.83) compared to no night work. Approximately one third (32%) of the physicians reported insufficient sleep. Physicians with long weekly working hours (> 48 hours) had higher odds for insufficient sleep (OR 1.78 95%CI 1.15-2.76) than physicians with short weekly working hours (< 40 hours). Insufficient sleep was also associated with frequent on-call duties (> 12 shifts/3 months OR 2.00 95%CI 1.08-3.72), frequent night work (OR 1.60 95%CI 1.09-2.37), and frequent short shift intervals (≤11 hours; > 12 times/3 months OR 1.65 95%CI 1.01-2.69) compared to not having these working hour characteristics. Nearly half of the physicians (48%) reported at least one sleep difficulty at least two times a week and frequent night work increased odds for difficulties in initiating sleep (OR 2.43 95%CI 1.04-5.69). Otherwise sleep difficulties were not associated with the studied working hour characteristics.Conclusion: We used realized working hour data to strengthen the evidence on on-call work and sleep quality and our results advice to limit the frequency of night work, on-call shifts, short shift intervals and long weekly working hours to promote hospital physicians' sufficient sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shift work, i.e., non-standard work hours, has been associated with both short- and long-term sickness absence. However, findings are inconsistent and inconclusive. Thus far, no comprehensive meta-analytic synthesis on the relationship between shift work and sickness absence has been published. The aims of the planned systematic review and meta-analysis are (1) to establish whether shift work is associated with sickness absence, (2) to determine if specific shift work characteristics relate to sickness absence (e.g., length and frequency of spells), and (3) to identify moderating factors affecting the relationship between shift work and sickness absence. Methods: Eligible studies will be identified using a predefined search strategy in several electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsychInfo, EMBASE, and ProQuest) and comprise peer-reviewed papers reporting original empirical findings on the association between shift work and sickness absence. Mainly observational studies with cross-sectional, prospective, or retrospective research design and case-control studies will be included. Risk of bias will be assessed using an adapted checklist previously employed to evaluate studies on sickness absence. To carry out the meta-analytic synthesis, a random effects meta-analysis will be conducted using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. The review and meta-analysis will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Heterogeneity will be evaluated by Cochran's Q test and the I2 statistics. Discussion: The review and meta-analysis will be the first to conduct a meta-analytic synthesis of the evidence on the association between exposure to shift work and sickness absence, as well as identify relevant moderators affecting the relationship between shift work and sickness absence. Aggregation of the existing evidence will improve the knowledge on the association between shift work and sickness absence. Such knowledge can be used to guide scheduling of shift work to promote work schedules that are less detrimental to health and contribute to reduced sickness absence and higher work- and leisure-time productivity. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022301200 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through this paper, the author analyzes the legislative framework that regulates the work schedule for judges. The paper is divided into three sections, the first aimed at the express regulation of the flexible work schedule for judges in the legislation prior to the new internal Rules of Procedure of the courts, and the second aims at analyzing the current regulatory framework, while the author aims to provide a key interpretation for current regulation, in the light of the tendency of judges to work more flexibly. The third section is related to the conclusions, being proposed some solutions of lege ferenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of working time must be defined in terms of European legislation and the way it is implemented in Romanian law. The effects of defining the concept of working time as fully as possible will have an impact on employment relationships based on an individual employment contract and may have effects on contractual liability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Revista Româna de Dreptul Muncii is the property of Wolters Kluwer Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Româna de Dreptul Muncii is the property of Wolters Kluwer Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The virtual work has been implemented in some areas more than others, and particularly in information and communication technology field several years before the pandemic. But, due to the lockdowns while the Covid-19 pandemic, imposed remote work was a new experience for many. This research examines, by the use of a survey, the benefits and the challenges of telework. The respondents confirmed those elements to specific degrees answering to the closed questions and mentioned their perspectives in the open questions. The study focuses on items concerning employees and employer while telecommuting, highlighting their work performance in terms of leading, communicating and accomplishing the tasks. Productivity, work-life balance, wellbeing, virtual leadership and communication, and the preference for future teleworking are some of the aspects detailed. The findings show correlations between those elements, the preference for continue virtual working is directly linked to work-life balance influenced by remote work productivity, time management efficiency, concentration capacity, and depending on safety and protection measures in the telework system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay aims at analyzing the Italian and comparative case law on digital platform workers’ classification in order to reflect upon the changing functions of working time in digital work widely considered. The Author, taking into account the difficulties in overcoming the dichotomy subordination-autonomy, believes that it is important to introduce a new notion of working time, in line with the new ways of carrying out work.

While for many scholars and lawmakers the smart-working seems to be the most innovative way to follow towards the future of labour law, this essay states how it would be possible to pursue another path, arguably more compatible with the labour-law constitutional framework, namely the four-day workweek organization

The authors explore whether the introduction of trust-based working hours is related to the subsequent innovation performance of firms. Based on a panel data set of German establishments, the study uses a propensity score matching approach that considers only firms that did not use trust-based work contracts initially. Results show that firms that adopt such contracts tend to be 12 to 15% more likely to improve products and 6 to 7% more likely to undertake process innovation. These results hold when controlling for another form of flexible working-time arrangement, namely working-time accounts. Thus, the positive relationship between the adoption of trust-based working hours and innovation seems to be driven by the degree of employee control and self-management over working time, rather than by merely allowing working-time flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Series Information) European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration, 2021 6(1), 121-124 | European Forum Highlight of 22 April 2021 | (Abstract) In DJ v Radiotelevizija Slovenijia (case C-344/19 ECLI:EU:C:2021:182) and RJ v Stadt Offenbach am Main (case C-580/19 ECLI:EU:C:2021:183), the Court of Justice held that periods of stand-by time spent at home would not be considered working time within the meaning of art. 2 of the Working Time Directive 2003/88/EC unless the worker is constrained objectively and very significantly in their ability to manage their free time when their professional services are not required. The Court left it up to the national courts to decide whether the facts of the cases fell within or outwith the scope of art. 2. At a time when the boundaries between work and leisure time are increasingly blurred - a trend that has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic - it is unfortunate that the Court did not use this opportunity to be more forthright in its assessment of what it means to be at an employer's disposal for the purposes of working time.

Earlier research is lacking on the prevalence and nature of objective working hour characteristics in the retail sector. We developed a codification in the retail sector and investigated differences in objective working hour characteristics by part-time work, sex and age. The payrollbased registry data of objective working hours consisted >12,000 employees of the retail sector in Finland for 2018-2020. Descriptive statistics for means, standard deviations (SD) and range of annual working hour characteristics were calculated, the differences in means were tested, partially based on the protocol established for health care sector. The final sample had 60-63% part-time employees and 23% men. Morning shifts were more frequent (48-51%) among full-time employees compared to 27-30% of the part-time employees. Evening shifts, 43-46%, were frequent among part-time employees vs. 26% in full-time. No sex differences were detected, and age group differences only among part-time employees. To conclude, the codification for registry-based working hour data enables us to identify individual differences in working hour characteristics. The working hour characteristics differed between part-time and full-time employees, not between sexes, whereas age differences were minor and among part-time employees. The codification could be used in studies of the retail sector in association with health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Employees and their work during non-work time are affected by technology development, societal changes and other factors that have an inherent impact on the employees' attitude towards work during nonwork time. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the up-to-date research on employees performing work during non-work time. Design/Methodology/Approach: The main methodological approach used in the article is a systematic literature review of 18 scientific articles found in citation databases in WOS, Scopus, etc. The collected literature is relevant as it encompasses both quantitative and qualitative analyses to gather insights on performing work during non-work time. Findings: The results imply that work during non-work time is a growing phenomenon among employees and public employees are no exception. Regarding the socio-demographic groups affected, findings indicate that work during non-work time is particularly common for employees in managerial positions and for professionals in education, health and police services, as well as for employees engaged in remote work. They also confirm that employees work during non-work time at different times of the day, at weekends, and during their annual and sick leave. Practical Implications: The article is especially relevant for public employees due to increased use of information and communication technology. As such, they are also exposed to intensifying work-related expectations and requests/pressures for flexible work arrangements. Originality/Value: The originality of the topic is reflected in the underrepresentation of scientific research on the performance of work during non-work time among public employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study assesses whether a difference exists in the diffusion of flexible working hours between Northern and Southern European countries. We implemented a methodological approach based on individual workers' survey data, analysing a large sample from the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS 2015) that includes 17 countries, and applying logistic regression models. We found that a worker in Northern Europe is twice as much likely to use flexible working hours than their Southern Europe counterpart, even after controlling for sociodemographic variables, working conditions, occupations, and sectors. Based on these findings, we argue in favour of the assumption that institutional regimes in Southern Europe feature lower levels of flexibility, putting forward some explanations for their perceived higher flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the Covid-19 pandemic the use of remote working strongly increased and the experimentation of this working arrangement is expected to bring about changes destined to last over time. This article investigates potentialities and limits of remote working by analyzing workers’ experiences (through a survey and in-depth interviews). It explores the autonomy in the management of working time and the strategies adopted to prevent the latter from invading free time. As regards spaces and work instruments, the analysis highlights a misalignment between the perception of «comfort» of some solutions adopted by remote workers, and their adequacy from the point of view of workers’ physical well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the emergency situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government used the regulatory scheme of agile work to ensure the continuation of work activities while safeguarding health protection. However, the tool applied in the emergency phase differs from the one governed by Law No. 81/2017 in very relevant aspects. The essay aims to analyze similarities and differences between the various models of remote work, highlighting in particular, the typical and innovative features of agile work and the differences with smart work in emergency. The article also focuses on the most recent innovations made to address the main issues that have emerged from the experience of the past two years, in view of the gradual return to normality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the experiences and the meaning that two bricklayers, father and son, give to their bodies, in the context of a capitalist society governed by the trend towards the universalization of commerce. Some of Karl Marx's and Georg Lukács' approaches to the concepts of alienation and reification are taken up. It is considered that their heuristic scope transcends the space and time of the foundational process of immediate production in such a way that they open up a dialogue between the structural and the experiential, between the material and the emotional, between meanings. It is of particular interest to rescue, through the help of social history and oral history, the perceptions of the workers mentioned in relation to their health-illness process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses how social times are structured for cooks in France's hospitality sector. Observations, in situ studies in restaurants and 43 interviews constitute the primary data of this research. We first examine the context, with data on employment, food practices, the socialisation of cooks and work organisation. Then, we describe their time configurations. The results highlight a dual operating system, with an all-day work schedule on one side and a schedule with a daily break and mandatory free time on the other. The results show a variability in the practices of the cooks, with five different time configurations using the variables of work and break time. The break schedule can be interpreted as a time configuration for (1) unpaid overtime for the benefit of the employer, for (2) non-work obligations and as (3) a work schedule including free time at the individual's disposal. The continuous workday can be seen as (4) a negation of sociability and time needs associated with the break schedule, and as (5) an opportunity to rebalance social times and synchronise with the private sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]