Dear Minister,
As Minister of Labour, I am outraged and speechless by your public statement.
Working Parents
My husband and I both work part-time, not because we are lazy, but because we share childcare responsibilities. „Are we now working part-time voluntarily?“ Yes and no. On the one hand, we need to earn money to cover living expenses and childcare costs; but on the other hand, we also want to spend quality time with our son.
Everyone is talking about work-life balance (there’s even a government quality mark for it!), and yet we’re discussing the avoidance of part-time work in Austria. Why does it still have to be an exclusive either/or situation between work and family in the 21st century?
Part-time
Many people work part-time in order to fulfil care responsibilities, and most of them are women (still!), often involuntarily.
Caring for relatives:
Wouldn’t you care for your relatives if they were unwell and you had to reduce your working hours as a result?
I am really angry. This statement sets us back 40 years in terms of equality. According to the WKO (part-time work promotes flexibility and prosperity), 28.7% of workers are expected to work part-time in 2021. Of these 49.6% of whom will be women, compared to 11.6% men.
Part-time vs. full-time
One thing is certain: not everyone who works part-time is work shy, even if they don’t have childcare or caregiving responsibilities. I suggest you read my article on Generation Slash (Why the nine-to-five job may no longer make sense) – because according to recent studies (https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/artikel/arbeit-am-ich-das-ende-des-hobbys/), the „dream full-time job“ no longer exists until retirement and is not in line with modern workforce management.
Roday’s working generations demand flexibility to fulfil themselves at all levels is what. This can be achieved through a reduction in working hours and more leisure time – in other words, part-time work. Successful employers support their employees in this, because it is the only way for them to compete for talents in today’s job market and counteract the labour shortage.
My offer
I would be happy to discuss this with you and provide practical advice. As experienced HR professional and working parent, I would be delighted to support you with my knowledge and skills. Together, perhaps we can shape the world of work in a contemporary and positive way, breaking with old patterns and forging new paths.
Kind regards,
Marion Eppinger aka. HR Passionista
