Does Part-Time Mean Part-Satisfaction?

This chapter focus is on the evaluation of part-time workers’ well-being through analysis of part-time jobs in the social services sector. The main factors influencing part-time workers’ satisfactions and part-timers' perceptions about their jobs, internal fairness, and the quality of the work are analysed by using the microdata from a survey conducted in Italy in 1998 on a sample of 228 organizations with 2,066 paid workers and 724 volunteers delivering social services has been used. The measured level of satisfaction with regards work in general, and with earnings, job stability, and autonomy in particular, are significantly lower among involuntary part-timers. The policies of part-time employment adopted by the organizations in the social services sector seem satisfactory and in line with the requirements of the activity, and they sustain a positive psychological contract. The only aspect to which managers should pay closer attention is the possible dissatisfaction of workers with their working hours. The clear communication and transmission of workers’ preferences and organizational needs would prevent under-effort and the desire to quit the organization.