Chronic Presenteeism: The Multiple Dimensions to Men's Absence from Part-Time Work

Abstract

While there is considerable debate in the popular press about the changing roles of men and women, labour force statistics suggest that there has been little change in the work patterns of men and women. Despite the increasing availability of part-time work, men in professional and managerial roles are not considering part-time as an option for them. Rather, there are increasing organizational pressures for men to be working long hours in the paid workforce. In this paper, men's absence from part-time work is considered from a multidisciplinary perspective. Factors operating at the individual, social and organizational levels are identified and explored in terms of their impact on men's working patterns. A model is presented that characterizes men's absence from part-time work as a result of the mutually reinforcing nature of these factors.