Working Time

Résumé

L’intensification d’un conflit entre responsabilités personnelles ou familiales et activités professionnelles a été mise en évidence dans un certain nombre de travaux mais certains articles ont aussi questionné ce manque de temps. Comment expliquer cette apparente contradiction ? Les auteurs analysent l’évolution du temps de travail et les aspirations des personnes en emploi, puis confrontent leur analyse aux données d’une grande enquête canadienne (Enquête sur les milieux de travail et les employés). Ils observent qu’entre 1999 et 2002, le degré de stabilité des heures de travail a augmenté. Par contre, en parallèle, il y a eu augmentation du pourcentage de travailleurs de 44 ans et moins travaillant sur des horaires rotatifs. L’amélioration de la stabilité est alors annulée. Sur l’incidence de la semaine réduite de travail, la comparaison 1999-2002 révèle qu’il y a eu diminution de cette pratique. Quant à la semaine comprimée de travail, son incidence augmente pour les moins de 25 ans et les plus de 55 ans, mais diminue pour les autres groupes, soit ceux qui sont le plus susceptibles d’avoir du mal à concilier travail et famille. Les données montrent aussi que plus de gens veulent augmenter leurs heures de travail que les réduire, et que ce phénomène s’est accentué en 2002. La minorité qui aimerait réduire ses heures souhaite surtout augmenter ses temps de loisirs, sauf les 35-44 ans, dont la majorité voudrait ainsi s’acquitter mieux de ses responsabilités familiales.

Abstract

Working time choices over the life course

While many studies have found increasing difficulties in achieving work-life balance, others have doubted there is any lack of time. How can we understand this seeming contradiction ? This article analyses changes in working time and hours of work, assessing them with the data from a large Canadian survey (Workplace and Employee Survey). It finds that between 1999 and 2002, working hours were increasingly stable but at the same time a greater percentage of workers under 45 worked shifts. The improvement in stability is thus cancelled out. From 1999 to 2002, fewer people worked a reduced workweek. The compressed workweek increased among those under 25 and over 55, but declined among the other age groups, those most likely to have difficulties balancing work and family. The data also show that more people want to increase their hours of work than reduce them, a pattern that is even stronger in 2002. The minority wanting to reduce their working time seek greater leisure, except for those aged 35-44 who want less hours because of family responsibilities.

Determining accurate assembly cycle times in the car industry is an integral part of efficient production, human and facility planning. Three types of methods are available for determining cycle time for manual processes, including: estimating methods, direct observation method (stopwatch), and predetermined motion time systems (PMTSs). Estimating methods cannot determine accurate times. The direct observation method cannot be used for non-existent stations; in addition, this method is very tedious. Although PMTSs are able to properly determine assembly cycle times, some problems have decreased their usage. This paper presents the results of a project accomplished in the Iran-Khodro Car Company (IKCO), the most famous vehicle manufacturing factory in Iran and the Middle East. A particular predetermined time study approach is developed in this company which covers all body shop operations. Besides, some special time tables are developed by the combination of MOST and work time table standards. Finally, an easy-to-use worksheet is designed which can be filled out by moderately educated practitioners. The potential errors will be minimised in the proposed approach to compare with existing ordinary methods.

Observations of teams have been made during 3 years of ongoing experiences in several local middle school settings. These observations have occurred in the course of teaching middle school classes as a participant-observer, conducting a single case study of a state P-12 school that established a middle school program (Main. 2003), and undertaking a major study in progress of four teaching teams in three middle schools. These observations have provided a basis for reflecting on the current practice environment for middle school teaching teams. Using teaching teams in middle schooling has been justified in terms of benefits for teacher collegiality, student learning, and creation of a flexible environment. That is, teaming allows the creation of a larger working space and more adaptable working time, which then enables teachers to incorporate virtually any teaching or learning method with any combination of students at any time during the normal timetabled sessions of a school day. Ho...

Overall job satisfaction is likely to reflect the combination of partial satisfactions related to various features of one's job, such as pay, security, the work itself, working conditions, working hours, and the like. The level of overall job satisfaction emerges as the weighted outcome of the individual's job satisfaction with each of these facets. The purpose of this study is