FLEXIBILITY AND
WORK-LIFE BALANCE: Comparing flexible policies in Sweden, Australia and the UK.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 2. DEFINING WORKING-TIME FLEXIBILITY AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE………………………………3 3.1 FLEXIBILITY: EMPLOYERS´ APPROACH…………………………………………….……………………..4 3.2 WORK-LIFE BALANCE: EMPLOYEES´ APPROACH…………………………..………………………..6 3.3 TYPES OF FLEXIBILITY AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE……………….……….…………………………7 3. ANALYSING FLEXIBILITY AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN THREE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES: UK, SWEDEN AND AUSTRALIA…………………………………………….….……………………………………8 4.4 EVOLUTION OF TRENDS IN FLEXIBILITY………………………………………………………………….9 4.5 THE REGULATORY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK OF THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP……………………………………………………………………………………………………..12 4. MANAGING FLEXIBILITY AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE: CULTURAL FACTORS AN HR MANAGER NEEDS INSIGHT INTO, IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE FLEXIBILITY AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE TRADE-OFFS THAT ARE PREFERRED IN ANY PARTICULAR COUNTRY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16 5. GIVEN THE IMPERATIVES OF MODERN CAPITALISM, IS IT LIKELY TO SEE CONVERGENCE ACROSS COUNTRIES OR AT LEAST CONVERGENCE ACROSS THE NATIONAL OPERATIONS OF MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES?................................................................................18 6. CONCLUSIONS…………………………………………………………………………….……………………………..19 7. REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19

1. INTRODUCTION

Blyton and Jenkins (2007;74) defined Flexibility through two different approaches, “For employers, workforce flexibility refers to the ability to use labour in a more adaptable and variable way. For employees, flexibility refers particularly to the degree of choice available in their work arrangements”.
This essay will analyse the evolution of flexibility and work-life balance since