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Leave saving options over the life course – only for the highly skilled? Evidence from two German best-practice companies

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  • Wotschack, Philip

Abstract

Individual leave saving options provide new options to employees to improve their employability and work–life balance over the life course. They are based on a simple idea: Employees can deposit overtime hours or portions of due remuneration in a time credit account and withdraw them at a later point in time in order to take prolonged periods of leave for care, training, or leisure activities. It is the leading question of this article as to what extent and in which way these options are factually used by different categories of employees. By reviewing existing studies in the Netherlands and by analysing German employee data the article reveals constraints in the accessibility of leave saving options. On the basis of transaction cost theory hypotheses are formulated regarding different uses of leave saving options by age, gender, and occupational status. These hypotheses are tested using regression analysis and employee data from two German best-practice companies. They show evidence for significant restrictions in terms of a high degree of selectivity with regard to age, skill and income levels. Based on these findings recommendations for future research and working time policies are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Wotschack, Philip, 2017. "Leave saving options over the life course – only for the highly skilled? Evidence from two German best-practice companies," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 19(4), pages 396-418.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:189924
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wotschack, Philip & Scheier, Franziska & Schulte-Braucks, Philipp & Solga, Heike, 2011. "Zeit für Lebenslanges Lernen. Neue Ansätze der betrieblichen Arbeitszeit- und Qualifizierungspolitik," WSI-Mitteilungen, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 64(10), pages 541-547.
    2. Loek Groot & Koen Breedveld, 2004. "Time over the Life Course: Preferences, Options and Life Course Policy," Public Economics 0410005, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Lei Delsen & Jeroen Smits, 2010. "Does the Life Course Savings Scheme Have the Potential to Improve Work–Life Balance?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 48(3), pages 583-604, September.
    4. Peter Ester & Ruud Muffels & Joop Schippers & Ton Wilthagen (ed.), 2008. "Innovating European Labour Markets," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13212.
    5. Günther Schmid, 2008. "Full Employment in Europe," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 12888.
    6. Anja-Kristin Abendroth & Laura den Dulk, 2011. "Support for the work-life balance in Europe: the impact of state, workplace and family support on work-life balance satisfaction," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 25(2), pages 234-256, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wotschack, Philip, 2018. "Optionszeiten auf Basis von Langzeitkonten - eine kritische Bilanz," Working Paper Forschungsförderung 57, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf.

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