S u m m a r y

 

Toivanen M., Väänänen A., Pentti J., Kivimäki M. & Vahtera J. (2009)

Women, work and the use of temporary parental leave in the public sector

Psykologia 44:338&endash;350. Sastamala ISSN 0355-1067.

The determinants of absences from work in order to care for a sick child have been poorly studied. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore the role of work-related attendance motivational factors (task variety, autonomy) and requirements (job demands, temporary work) in the use of temporary parental leave, using large-scale questionnaire and register data. We drew data from the Finnish Public Sector Study in 2004, and selected women who had at least one child aged under 10 and who had been employed at least 6 months (N=5 441). The results showed that mothers with high task variety, high job demands and temporary work contracts used parental leave less often than their colleagues with distinctive work-related characteristics. Especially white collar employees were affected by high task variety and job demands. We conclude that work crosses the border between work and family, and extends to the care of family commitments.

 

Key words: temporary parental leave, attendance incentives, attendance requirements, task variety, job autonomy, job demands, temporary work

 

 

Minna Toivanen, Researcher, MA

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

Work Organizations, Organisational Innovations and Management

Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland

minna.toivanen@ttl.fi / +358.30 474 2665

 

Ari Väänänen, Senior Researcher, PhD.

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

Work Organizations, Changes and Future Work

Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland

ari.vaananen@ttl.fi / +358 30 474 2435

 

Jaana Pentti, Statistician, BSci

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

Work Organizations, Unit of Excellence for Psychosocial Factors

Lemminkäisenkatu 14-18b, FI-20520 Turku, Finland

jaana.pentti@ttl.fi / +358 30 474 7514

 

Mika Kivimäki, Professor, PhD

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health

University College London Medical School

1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT

m.kivimaki@ucl.ac.uk

 

Jussi Vahtera, Professor, PhD, MD

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Finland and

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

Work Organizations, Unit of Excellence for Psychosocial Factors

Lemminkäisenkatu 1, FI-20520 Turku, Finland

jussi.vahtera@ttl.fi / +358. 30 474 7520