Professor Heejung Chung’s research, to develop and enhance flexible working policy and practice, has influenced both national and international governance.
Flexible working is used by many companies world-wide to address the work-life balance needs of workers and attain gender diversity goals while enhancing performance outcomes. However Professor Chung’s work explores how workers’ wellbeing and gender equality may in fact be jeopardised by flexible working, rather than providing a better work-life balance
Chung’s work, which involved NGOs, government departments, and other stakeholder groups, has shown flexible working to negatively impact women. Whilst their work capacity increases, for men – although they may also work longer – their work is paid whereas women’s is predominantly unpaid domestic work. Additionally, women and other disadvantaged groups have less access to flexible working arrangements.
Mothers are at even more disadvantage, with flexible working increasing their work capacity and potentially negatively impacting career outcomes, which in turn enhances gender inequality in the labour market.
This work has made a significant contribution to UK government policies on flexible working and shared parental leave; the introduction of flexible working rights whilst protecting those who do work flexibly in the EU’s work-life balance directive; and influenced the policy direction and capacity building of policy stakeholders and advocacy groups across the world – such as Korea, Italy, Estonia, Germany and others.
Professor Heegung Chung is Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research.