Volume 18, Issue 3

The authors investigate on the question, which obstacles complicate the implementation, advancement and use of possibilities to reconcile working life with private life in companies. On the basis of a qualitative study this question has been subject in companies which are certified for their family sensible personnel-policy. The evaluation gives an idea of the diversity and complexity of obstacles the companies have to face while establishing and extending possibilities to reconcile working life with private life. Nevertheless, they don’t fail but show rather a considerable learning process.

The German “General Equal Treatment Act” evoked controversial discussions before its introduction in mid-2006, particularly employers feared abuse and increased costs. One and a half years after the Act became effective a business survey investigated whether these fears have come true. This survey is based on interviews with personnel managers, works council and equality stakeholders. The results show that not only legal action failed to appear, but also the companies have changed their personnel policy only to a limited extent. Adjustments were almost just in the area of job advertisements. Implications for equality issues are being discussed.

The introduction of the „Laws for modern services on the labour market“ marks a turning point in the process of welfare production in Germany from “active” to “activating labour market politics”. In the light of this paradigmatic change the article examines the structure of the recently introduced public job creation scheme with renumeration based on the results of an implementation study of the pilot project “Job Trainer NRW”. A highly selective allocation of participants, a strong focus on on-the-job-training and integration into the first labour market as well as socio-paedagogical support are especially characteristic for the programme. It can be shown that this programme provides substantial opportunities for successful integration into the first labour market. Furthermore it can be regarded as an example of activating labour market politics devoid of the often critizised conditionalization and harassment of unemployed persons.

German agency workers are obliged not only to accept inferior working conditions as compared to their colleagues in the core work force, they are also faced with a loss in social status. This is what we found in our study based on an emergent sample of 157 semi-structured interviews with representatives from all groups concerned: agency and core workers as well as employers and temping agencies. The interviews reveal the criteria used for status attribution and illustrate the discriminatory treatment of agency workers and the motives behind it.

Based on the contemporary debate of blurring boundaries between work and life, the paper discusses the question of work life balance in higher education by drawing on pertinent research studies. Thereby it focuses on the special efforts and orientations of male professors at universities in Germany and Switzerland. The paper presents selected examples, in which way these men arrange career and child(ren) by means of empirical data based on biographical interviews.