Flexibility conflict?

The chapter deals with the presupposed conflict of interests between employers and employees resulting from a decoupling of operating hours and working times. It starts from the notion that both long operating hours and flexibility are relative concepts. As there is some discretion, the ultimate choice may differ between countries, sectors of activity as well as establishments. Central here is the question whether there is a superior system of flexibility. It is concluded that both the development and the use of the various working time arrangements differ between EU Member States. Apart from the business cycle and the production technique, institutional and cultural factors play an important role. Some flexibility mixes may be conflicting management strategies, e.g. employability and external numerical flexibility. Compensation within labour contracts is mainly a theoretical solution. Feasible win-win outcomes concern flexibility from the core workers: internal functional flexibility and flexi-year labour contracts. There are business-economic limits to flexibility. Moreover, micro and macro level flexibility and efficiency may conflict. There is no single peak mix of duration of operating hours and working time options