The Unequal Flexibility Paradox : How Context Shapes Work-Life Boundaries and Inequality

Abstract

Flexible working arrangements in terms of time and location of work (flexitime and work from home) have become more common in recent decades, with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating their adoption. While flexibility has the potential to help workers better reconcile work and private spheres, previous research has yielded ambivalent findings regarding its impact on well-being, work–life conflict, and the division of domestic and paid work among different population groups. This mismatch between the potential and actual outcomes of flexible work is known as the flexibility paradox. This dissertation extends earlier work on this paradox by exploring how the consequences of flexible work are shaped by contextual factors, particularly gender role attitudes, division of domestic work in a couple, and the flexibility stigma. It applies theories of work-family interface, gender, and social context using longitudinal and cross-national survey data.