Work, Family, and Gender Equality: Lessons from Europe

Transcription

1 Work, Family, and Gender Equality: Lessons from Europe Janet C. Gornick City University of New York Ariane Hegewisch Institute for Women s Policy Research Rutgers University 30 September 2011

2 What is on offer: Europe v. US Child care; regulation of working time/flexibility; parental leave EU policy levers for work family and gender equality Treaties, Directives, the Court, Euros and Knowledge Overview Policy debates and priorities Labour supply; public finance; gender equality; anti poverty; educational outcomes; work life balance etc Policy impacts on employment and gender equality Policies focused on working parents Policies focused on all workers Can work family policies cause gender inequality? Are these policies relevant and compatible with the US political, economic, and demographic context?

3 Early childhood education and care that is available, affordable, and of acceptable quality secures maternal employment rates, by shifting the relative value of time at home and lowering the out-of-pocket costs associated with employment. -- US provides very little publicly-subsidized childcare before kindergarten. -- The quality of private childcare in the US is highly variable and often poor.

4 Working time measures shape workers actual work hours. -- US public policy sets a long work week, and is silent on paid days off. -- US employers offer some options, but availability is limited and regressive.

5 Paid maternity leaves raise women s employment rates and secure new mothers return to the workplace and to the same employer. Paid parental leaves enable caregiving time by both mothers and fathers. -- US family leave policy is exceptionally meager. -- US employers provide some paid leave, but not at comparable levels, and the distribution is regressive.

6 EU policy levers Treaty of Rome 1957: Article 117: Member States agree upon the need to promote improved working conditions and improved standards of living for workers. Article 119: maintain the application of the principle that men and women should receive equal pay for equal work Equal Pay Directive 1975 and Equal Treatment Directive 1976 and directives on parental leave, part time work Directives set minimum standards but allow for diverse implementation European Court of Justice Part time work; pension age; business costs EU focus: disparate impact/indirect discrimination of women as primary caregivers US focus: disparate treatment/direct discrimination of women Targets, Expert Networks and the European Social Fund Common minimum standards, huge diversity in policies and work family infrastructure

7 Policy debates and priorities Demographic change: decline in fertility rates and aging workforce (Lisbon Summit 2000 onwards) increasing female labour force participation supporting workforce development strengthening social insurance and income tax bases Gender equality men s involvement in family care and use of care related work benefits Combating poverty and exclusion (for this generation and next) securing child and maternal health enabling parental time with children shoring up family economic security (during life course transitions) Work life Balance

8 Lessons from Europe Work family policy designs matter: they influence employer and employee behaviours Length of leave Quality and coverage of child care Working hours/part time work The countries with the best child care and decent work family provision have highest labour force participation and highest fertility rates (e.g., France, Denmark, Sweden) The countries with the worst child care and least supports for working mothers have the lowest fertility rates/labour force participation (e.g., Germany, Italy, Spain) Work family policies are not the only policies that matter Taxation and welfare benefits; collective bargaining; minimum wage

9 Lessons from Europe What about unintended consequences of work family policies for gender equality? Occupational segregation/ women in management Gender v. class? Biggest lesson: Work family policy is economic policy: policy failure has significant economic consequences if countries with no unpaid maternity leave (such as the United States) introduce this measure at the average OECD level (15 weeks), they could increase MFP [multi factor productivity] by 1.1 percent in the long run. Bassanini and Venn, 2008:11, OECD Monitor

10 Lessons for the US? What is said to stand in the way? Incompatibility with American political culture and preferences Americans prefer market solutions to government provisions. The US is too diverse to support universal policies. American parents want more freedom of choice. Americans would never be willing to pay for these benefits Poor fit with unique needs of families in the United States American families have greater needs I: single parents. American families have greater needs II: low wages and poverty.