1 Sunday Working and Family Time in Australia – The lessons learnt from analysing time-diary data Michael Bittman Social Policy Research Centre University of New South Wales AUSTRALIA M. Bittman @ unsw .edu.au
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1
Sunday Working and Family Time in Australia – The lessons learnt from analysing time-diary data
Michael Bittman
Social Policy Research Centre University of New South Wales
AUSTRALIA
2
Extent of Sunday working
3
Data source
The 1997 Time Use Survey (Australian Bureau Of Statistics, 1998a, 1998b).
multi-stage area sample of private dwellings
four collection periods evenly timed throughout the year, one during each season.
diaries on designated days, to ensure equal representation of each day of the week
final sample 4,555 households, 8,618 persons, 14,315 diary days
4
Proportion who worked for 2 hours on a ‘usual day’by day of week -Currently employed working age (15-64 years)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
%
5
Comparison of with best ABS Labour Force Survey data (currently employed persons, aged 15-64 years, 1997).
% Working Arrangements
Survey
% Time Use Survey
Total working weekdays
69.7 74.9
Total working some weekend days
15.0 25.1
Indeterminate 15.3
6
Proportion persons aged 15-64 year by day of week (worked for 2 hours on a ‘usual day’)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
%
7
Trend
8
Metropolitan employed persons aged 20-59
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1974 1987 1992 1997
%
9
Effect working on a Sunday has on other activities
10
The rhythm of everyday activities by day of the weekCurrently employed working-age Australians
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Day of week
Min
ute
s p
er
da
y
Personal care activities
Employment related activities
Education
Unapid household work
Voluntary work and care activities
Social and community interaction
Recreation and leisure
11
The impact of Sunday workon currently employed working-age Australians
-200
-100
0
100
200
300
400
500
Personal careactivities
Employmentrelated
activities
Education Domesticactivities
Child care Purchasinggoods andservices
Voluntarywork and care
activities
Social andcommunityinteraction
Recreationand leisure
Undescribed
Activity group
Min
ute
s p
er
Su
nd
ay
12
The effect Sunday working on time spent with family, friends, colleagues and
neighbours
13
Average minutes per day of social contact
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Min
ute
s p
er
da
y Eating with family
Family leisure time
Leisure with friendscollegues neighoursLeisure with kids
14
Do Sunday worker compensate for there ‘losses’
on weekdays?
15
Number of working-age Australian’s weekday diaries by days worked last week
N
Did not work any day last week 2459
Worked only weekdays last week 2956
Worked Saturday last week 1737
Worked Sunday last week 1032
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OLS regression coefficients (mins./day) relative to those working weekdays only (net of family composition, occupation, industry and gender)
* P <.05, ** P<.005, ***P <.0005
Time spent eating with family members
Family leisure time
Leisure time with children
Leisure time with friends, etc
Worked Sunday last week 4.03* 3.60 2.75 2.18
Worked Saturday last week -1.87 -12.43 -9.87* 0.63
Did not work any day last week
22.43*** 64.32*** 59.37*** -1.11
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Conclusions
18
Conclusions
Sunday is still a very special day, many activities especially reserved for Sundays
rest,
Recreation
and association with significant others
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Conclusions (continued)
The overwhelming majority of the workforce is not working on a Sunday
Time spent in employment reduces further than an other major activity on a Sunday
20
Conclusions (continued)
Sunday workers typically put in a full working day
Typically over 7 hours
This creates great difficulties in coordinating with the schedules of most others, whose availability is highest on Sunday
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Conclusions (continued)
Sunday workers miss out of key activities
Reduced rest
Reduced recreation
Reduced social contact with significant others
Reduced civic engagement
Less time for domestic catch-up
22
Conclusions (continued)
Sunday workers are unable to compensate for the activities foregone on a Sunday by doing them during the week
Only significant compensation replaces the 50 minutes lost eating with family members on a Sunday with 4 minutes extra on a weekday
Otherwise the activities of Sunday workers on a weekday are no different to those who only work on weekdays
To say this in reverse: The weekday activity pattern of those who do no work on any day is significantly differently from those who work on a Sunday
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Conclusions (continued)
In Australia at the beginning of 21st century working on a Sunday is justifiably described as working unsociable hours.
Existing research shows that this pattern of reduced social contact with family and community is associated with undesirable outcomes in child development, family relationships and community participation, perhaps health.
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