Blue-collar fathers’ temporal strategies for childcare in a compressed 4-day workweek and implications for gender equality

Abstract

In the blue-collar sector, there is a trend towards the 4-day workweek, often implemented through compressed work schedules (CWS). But little is known about how four compressed, and thus longer, working days shape fathers’ involvement in childcare and gender equality in the family. We used a grounded theory approach to analyze 32 semi-structured interviews with workers from nine Austrian blue-collar organizations focusing on a sub-sample of 10 blue-collar fathers. Drawing on practice theory, we identified three temporal strategies that workers employed to deal with the reduced non-work time in CWS: skipping, squeezing in, and postponing activities. Using maximum variation strategy, we present three cases of blue-collar fathers with distinct family and care arrangements, and integrate the temporal perspective into a relational care approach. Our analysis shows that existing unequal or dichotomous gender relations are fostered in CWS. Thus, CWS models shape fathers’ strategies and involvement in care, but other aspects such as the respective household context need to be considered for gender equality. Based on our study findings, we recommend a CWS model with reduced weekly hours as a solution for all fathers to engage in daily routine care and weekend activities.