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‘How Many Hours Do You Usually Work?’

An analysis of the working hours questions in 26 large-scale surveys in six countries and the European Union

Amsterdam Institute for Labour Studies (AIAS), University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 11, 1018 WB Amsterdam, The Netherlands K.G.Tijdens{at}uva.nl

Anna Dragstra

Amsterdam Institute for Labour Studies (AIAS), University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 11, 1018 WB Amsterdam, The Netherlands

This article reviews how working hours are asked for in 26 large-scale surveys in six countries plus the European Union. Four dimensions of working time were investigated, notably number of working hours, timing of work, predictability and control over hours, and commuting time. Although almost all questionnaires ask for hours worked, the terminology varies greatly. In only half of the cases a reference period is taken into account and in half the reasons for working more/less in the survey week than usual are asked for. Contractual hours are hardly asked for and so are paid and unpaid overtime hours. The timing of work is asked for in a minority of the questionnaires, and predictability and control over working hours is also not a major issue. The incidence of an on-call contract is the most likely proxy for predictability.

Key Words: large-scale surveys • overtime • survey questions • working hours • working time preferences

Time & Society, Vol. 16, No. 1, 119-130 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0961463X07074105


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