Flexible Working and Skill-Biased Inequality: Causes and Consequences

This chapter addresses the issue of skill-biased inequality in entitlement to and usage of flexible working, and examines within a multilevel and multifaceted framework comprising structural and cultural or interactional elements, its main causes and (unintended) consequences. In the skill debate, a considerable amount of the literature does not provide fine-grained accounts of the entire hierarchical structure resulting from the uneven distribution of skills; rather, it usually offers, with a few notable exceptions, a less nuanced picture built around the dichotomy of “high-skilled” versus “low-skilled” jobs, employees, and/or occupations. Such a simplified framework is adopted in the chapter for the sake of brevity. The chapter offers some implications for policy and practice that could help organizations ensure a higher, more equal, and effective use of flexible working for the best possible interests of both employees and employers.