Parental Nonstandard Work Schedules and Child Development: Evidence from Dual-Earner Families in Hong Kong

With the emergence of 24/7 economies, the practice of working nonstandard schedules has become increasingly common. This trend raises a concern about how parental nonstandard work schedules affect child development outcomes. Using data from dual-earner families with young children (age 5–6) in Hong Kong, this study examined the association between parental work schedules and child development. It also examined under what conditions parental nonstandard work schedules affect child development, with a focus on the moderating role of family income. Results showed that paternal nonstandard work schedules were negatively associated with overall child development. This association was particularly salient among low-income families. By contrast, maternal nonstandard work schedules were not associated with child development outcomes. These findings suggest that it is important to equip parents, in particular low-income fathers, to address challenges resulting from their nonstandard work schedules.

Nonstandard Work Schedules in Cross-National Perspective: A Study of 29 European Countries, 2005-2015

Data from the ‘European Working Conditions Survey’ from 2005 to 2015 for 29 European countries show that the incidence of nonstandard work schedules (evenings, nights, weekends, rotating, shifts) differs remarkably across European regions with different public policies. Working nonstandard schedules differs by education, gender and parental status across Europe.

Work hours, work schedules, and subjective well-being in Korea

Korea is well known for long work hours. This study examined the effect of not only the total amount of working time but also work schedules on individuals’ subjective well-being in Korea. Drawing on the 2014 Korean Time Use Survey data, the authors selected currently employed people aged 19–65 and examined the effects of total work hours as well as work schedules on feeling rushed, feeling tired, and life satisfaction. Based on the ordered logistic regression analysis, long work hours were negatively related to subjective well-being regardless of work schedules. After adding an interaction between standard and nonstandard work schedules, the study found that while work hours during both standard and nonstandard schedules are associated with declines in psychological status, the negative effect of working time during nonstandard work schedules on subjective well-being is stronger as the work hours during standard schedules decrease.

Parental Work Schedules and Hours in 29 European Countries, 2005-2015: A Welfare State Comparison

Using three waves of the European Working Conditions Survey (2005-2015), we examined parental work schedules and hours across welfare regimes covering 29 European countries with attention to gender and socioeconomic gaps (N = 20,648). Multivariate logistic regression results revealed that: (1) nonstandard work schedules and overworking were more prevalent in the Liberal, Southern European, and Central-Eastern European regimes than were in the Corporatist and Social Democratic welfare regimes, whereas underworking was the highest in the Liberal and Corporatist regimes; (2) fathers were more likely to work nonstandard schedules and overwork but less likely to underwork than were mothers, with the strongest gender gaps observed for the Liberal regime; (3) highly-educated parents were less likely to work nonstandard schedules and overwork but more likely to underwork, and this was more pronounced in the Southern European and Central-Eastern European welfare regimes; (4) compared to 2005, nonstandard work schedules were more prevalent in 2015, and both overworking and underworking were less prevalent in 2010; these trends varied across welfare regimes.

Parents’ nonstandard work schedules and children’s social and emotional wellbeing: A mixed-methods analysis in Germany

Many children live in households where either one or both parents work nonstandard schedules in the evening, night or weekend. Using a mixed methods design, this study examined whether nonstandard work schedules were linked to lower social and emotional wellbeing in children. The quantitative analysis based on the German Family Panel Study (pairfam) showed that children whose parents worked rotating shifts and other types of nonstandard schedules reported elevated levels of emotional and conduct problems. However, not all types of nonstandard schedules were detrimental to child wellbeing: fixed shift work did not have a negative impact on child social and emotional wellbeing. Overall, the effect of mothers’ work schedule on child wellbeing was stronger than that of fathers. The qualitative interviews revealed that nonstandard work schedules made everyday life unsettling and family environment chaotic because it was difficult to plan. Thus, for most families where one or both parents worked such schedules stress was a defining feature of the daily life and parents accepted it as “part of their life”. Families used different strategies to deal with stress and attempted to protect children from it. Contingent on what resources available to them, some families managed well, while others did not cope so well and children were adversely affected.

Flexibility or Constraint? The Implications of Mothers’ and Fathers’ Nonstandard Schedules for Children’s Behavioral Outcomes

Approximately 17.7% of the U.S. workforce is employed in a nonstandard schedule. Research thus far indicates that these schedules negatively influence children’s behavioral development. However, few studies examine the roles of the child’s gender and age. To broaden understanding of the relationships between nonstandard schedules and child behavior, and how these relationships may depend on the gender and age of the child, I analyze data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 and its Child Supplement from 1992 to 2006. My findings show that some types of parental nonstandard shifts, such as evening and night shifts, are associated with fewer behavioral problems among children, though these results depend on the gender and age of the child. In contrast, parents’ rotating and split shifts are associated with more behavior problems among children, indicating that it is relatively unstable and unpredictable work schedules that may have the most harmful associations with children’s outcomes.