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Studying, working overtime disrupts the work-life balance

Studying, working overtime disrupts the work-life balance

A study in Germany shows that men, in particular, work longer when they work flexibly.

Working from home is characterized by starting work early and finishing it late in the evening.

Research by the Hans Böckler Foundation found that men and women with children use flexible hours in different ways.

Men, on average, work four unpaid hours per week when working flexibly, while women work one hour per week.

Working from home exacerbates the problem, with men working an extra 6 hours a week and women an extra hour.

Women with children tend to devote more time to childcare when working flexible hours, 1.5 hours and 3 hours when working from home. While men take less care of children.

In fact, men who work flexibly spend less time caring for children compared to those who work in an office.

Both men and women said that working flexible hours left them with less free time than traditional working hours.

"Flexibility at work makes work and family more stable, but at the same time it can cement the classic division of roles between men and women, or make them stronger," said study author Yvonne Lott.

The study was based on interviews with 30,000 parents in Germany over a 13-year period.