Work life balance from an
economic point of view:
Possible indirect effects
Liss Schanke
Norwegian Association of Local and
Regional Authorities
Liss.Schanke@ks.no
Possible indirect effects
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No easy answers
Short and long term
No standard answers
Will vary between
countries and cultures
• Not the same context
Spain and Norway –not
the same answers
Effects of unemployment
• Effects on unemployed
adults, youth re.
motivation, capacity
• Effects on children,
friends, siblings
• Effects of unemployment on taxes/pensions
• Effects of «unregistered
labour market» on business competion/quality
Effects of kindergartens
• On demographic growth
• On parents’ possibility for
education/employment
• On children’s capacity and
motivation for education
– especially immigrant or
marginalized children
• On public and private
sector competence in a
global competitive
economy
Effects of postponed retirement
• Continued payment of
income taxes – reduced
payment of pensions
• More active elderly
people - happier and
healthier
• 2012: EU year for the
active elderly
• Foto jobb
Effects on productivity
• Does flexible working
hours/place give more
satisfied workers?
• Does more satisfied
workers give increased
productivity?
• Is working 08-16 more
productive than 08-20?
• Is presentism productive?
• Best Practice: Flexibility in
Bærum
Effects on social capital?
• Many forms of capital,
economic, cultural, social
• Putnam: «SC is the
collective value of all
social networks and the
inclinations that arise
from these n. to do thing
for each other»
• More networks with
08-16.00 than 08-20?
• 2011: EU voluntary year
• Best Practice: Voluntary
centre in Mandal
Effects on male role?
• Work life balance may
imply a new role for men
in their own family
• WLB may open up new
jobs for men in
kindergartens, institutions
for elderly etc.
• More men in care may
imply higher total quality
of care
• Best Practice: REFORM
and Free Choice Vest
Agder
General effects of economic equality
Main message: Society
benefits from greater
economic equality – not
only the poor – but the
whole population.
Examples: Life
expectancy, literacy,
infant mortality,
homicides, imprisonment,
mental illness, drug
addiction, trust…………..
Income differences between rich and
poor in some countries
Health and Social Problems are Worse in More Unequal Countries
Index of:
• Life expectancy
• Math & Literacy
• Infant mortality
• Homicides
• Imprisonment
• Teenage births
• Trust
• Obesity
• Mental illness – incl.
drug & alcohol
addiction
• Social mobility
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009)
www.equalitytrust.org.uk
WLB indirect economic aspects:
tentative conclusions
• Challenges in all
countries, e.g.pay gap,
immigrant employment,
part time gap
• WLB may increase with
political cooperation,
social processes and
social dialogue
• Important present and
future topic for
cooperation between
Spain and Norway