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Work, childcare and women’s career progression in the Netherlands Janneke Plantenga

Work, childcare and women’s career progression in the Netherlands Janneke Plantenga Utrecht School of Economics The Netherlands J.Plantenga@econ.uu.nl. The Netherlands as a ‘best practice’ ? Structure of the presentation: 1. Working-time policy (including parental leave);

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Work, childcare and women’s career progression in the Netherlands Janneke Plantenga

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  1. Work, childcare and women’s career progression in the Netherlands Janneke Plantenga Utrecht School of Economics The Netherlands J.Plantenga@econ.uu.nl

  2. The Netherlands as a ‘best practice’ ? Structure of the presentation: 1. Working-time policy (including parental leave); 2. Childcare policy; 3. Assessment of the Dutch case from an equal opportunities point of view.

  3. 1. Working-time policy: Part-time employment is also a core element of equal opportunities policy. Part-time rate: In 2003 < 30% of employed women worked 35 hours or more In 1994 < 40% of employed women worked 35 hours or more In 2003 > 80% of employed men worked 35 hours or more In 1994 > 85% of employed men worked 35 hours or more

  4. The emphasis on flexible, non full-time working hours for both men and women in order to reconcile work and family life is backed-up by additional legislation. Most important in this respect are: - Equal treatment of full and part-timers: WOA - The working hours (adjustment) act: WAA Employers view: ‘combining management posts with part-time working hours is a problem’.

  5. Parental leave: - Six month entitlement of part-time leave (50%), corresponding to a fulltime leave of 13 weeks. - Leave can be taken until the child is 8. - Leave is an individual, non-transferable entitlement. - Leave is unpaid - yet paid (since 1-1-2006) within the new life course scheme. - Standard legal provision can be extended by collective agreement or works council.

  6. 2. Childcare policy Strong increase in child care places since the mid of the 1990s Capacity in 2002: 12,5 places per 100 children 0-4 3,3 places per 100 children 4-12 Enrolment rate: 22% for children 0-4 5% for children 4-12 Substantial informal segment

  7. Acceptability of changes in the organisation of paid and unpaid work: 35% of all respondents does not agree with the proposition that female labour supply is acceptable in case of young children. Almost 40% agree with the statement that fulltime employment of women interferes with family life. Strong attachment to private and informal care.

  8. 3.1 Effects: Participation Four strategies to reconcile work and family life: - Quit working - Adjust working hours - Take up leave - Outsource care responsibilities

  9. Table 2. Change in labour pattern of working parents, after the birth of the first child, 1997-2003, in percentages 1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 Women Quit working 25 16 16 18 10 Working, less hours 44 53 49 52 56 Working, the same or more hours 32 32 35 30 34 Men Working, less hours 10 13 13 7 13 Working, the same or more hours 90 87 87 93 87 Source: Portegijs et al. 2004, 100

  10. 3.2 Effects: Economic independence. In 2001 the proportion of women with their own income is 71% 41% of women in the age category 15-64 are economically independent; 3 percentage point below the target figure for that year.

  11. 3.3 Effects: Fertility Age at which women get their first child has risen to 29 in 2002 and is among the highest of the EU. Caused by non-supportive socio-economic environment or life style? Fertility rate: 1,73

  12. 3.4 Overall assessment The Netherlands as bast practice? At the positive side: - flexible; - working hours in close correspondence to preferences; - opportunities to ‘private’ care. At the negative side: - large differences in participation rate between men and women; - low level of economic independence.

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