Tom Schuller believes the disruption to traditional work patterns could pay off for women in the longer term, while Ruth Windle despairs for those who don’t have space at home. Dr Argyro Avgoustaki and Dr Hans TW Frankort point to poor working conditions across the labour market
Traditional working patterns may be breaking down, including where people actually work, as Nicholas Bloom describes (Our research shows working from home works, in moderation, 12 March). In the short term, working at home has penalised women, pushing more of them into double-shifting, or out of work. But there may be reasons for optimism in the longer term if conventional career paths break down alongside daily work patterns. The further we get from the assumption that good careers mean full-time and continuous employment, the better for gender equality.
Women are still penalised for going part-time or taking time out. They are better qualified than men, and this gap is increasing, but their competences are still under-recognised and undervalued, to everyone’s detriment. This highlights what I’ve called the Paula Principle: that most women work below their level of competence. Because they involve men as well as women, the current upheavals in work patterns could well undermine this principle.
Tom Schuller
London
