Nonstandard work schedules in 29 European countries, 2005–15: differences by education, gender, and parental status

Data from the European Working Conditions Surveys from 2005, 2010, and 2015 for 29 European countries show that the prevalence of nonstandard work schedules (evenings, nights, weekends, and rotating shifts) differs markedly across European regions with different public policies. Working nonstandard schedules also differs by education, gender, and parental status across Europe. Working a standard daily schedule from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. is no longer the norm for many workers in an economy that is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Workers are increasingly required to work at unconventional hours, facing highly globalized and deregulated labor markets characterized by job volatility and unpredictability.1 Nonstandard work schedules often go together with precarious jobs that put physical and psychological pressure on workers, especially among the most vulnerable groups in society.2 During the current COVID-19 pandemic—which is affecting demographic groups differently, depending on their flexible conditions—understanding who works nonstandard work schedules becomes