The share of women working part-time is shrinking as more opt for remote and flexible full-time gigs made mainstream in the pandemic.

The forced working-from-home experiment brought about by COVID-19 lockdowns normalised remote, hybrid, tailored hours and other ways of working coveted by all but especially those seeking flexibility to balance caring responsibilities.

Workplace Gender Equality Agency and Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre’s research suggests a broader understanding of flexibility beyond part-time is creating opportunities for improved gender equity.

Alan Duncan, report co-author, said part-time employment was still a valuable alternative for those balancing caring responsibilities and other pursuits but there were downsides.

It could result in long-term economic disadvantage, including lower lifetime earnings and reduced retirement savings, Professor Duncan said during an online report launch.

“Women make up three-quarters of the total part-time workforce, and this makes part-time work a gendered issue,” he said.

Part-time employment among women dropped by 3.2 percentage points to 29.7 per cent over the last five years.

In the same period, the share of women formally categorised as having full-time jobs increased from 40.2 per cent to 42.5 per cent, in line with a growing prevalence of remote and other non-traditional flexible work.

The pandemic “broke the back” of negative perceptions around flexible and non-traditional work as employers were forced to recognise organisation performance was little compromised, Prof Duncan said.

Yet “prehistoric” views persisted, including the notion flexibility meant workers were paid “full whack” for fewer hours.

“That’s really not a good mindset,” he said.

A focus on work outcomes rather than hours in the office was recommended to improve job design and promote inclusivity.

Part-time and flexible work remained rarer at management level, Monday’s report revealed.

Aware Super chief of staff Katrina McPhee said the pressure of “always needing to be on” was a deterrent to women balancing care responsibilities and other demands.

“Potentially we need to rethink how that works from a workload perspective,” she said at the report launch.

Agency chief Mary Wooldridge said the report’s findings reinforced the need to design jobs for inclusivity and ditch the “full-time mindset”.

“Flexibility stigma” remained a problem, with promotion rates dropping off steeply for part-time workers outside of management.

“By embracing flexible work practices and addressing the challenges associated with part-time employment, employers create a more equitable and supportive work environment for all employees,” she said.

The report’s key recommendations included normalising flexible work and monitoring career progression to spot promotion cliffs.

Poppy Johnston
(Australian Associated Press)