Flexible working in Europe

This research paper analyzes and reports upon the current practice of flexible working amongst organizations in Europe: focussing on current developments in the use, by employing organizations, of parttime workers and a range of contractual variations (temporary work; fixed-term contracts etc). The analysis draws heavily, though not exclusively, upon a substantial, independent database of organizational level questionnaire responses covering all sectors of the economy in 14 European countries. We provide evidence that across Europe there is a substantial amount of flexible working and that there has been a continuing increase in its use. It is argued that these developments have considerable, as yet little understood, implications for policy makers, individuals and employers.