1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«In the context of a university–union partnership, a union in the transport sector, affiliated with the Quebec Federation of Labour, contacted us to carry out a study aimed at improving the options available for members who had to reconcile a-typical work schedules with family responsibilities. This article describes two aspects of this research: (1) the importance of interpersonal and collective dimensions of schedule choice strategies and (2) the influence of these factors on the leeway that workers have in reconciling family responsibilities and atypical schedules.» (p. 321)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
L’échantillon est composé de 69 employés d’un département de nettoyage d’une compagnie québécoise de transport.

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«Our results highlight the importance of the relational dimensions of WFB [work/family balance] strategies by illustrating how relationships can facilitate or hinder strategies related to schedule choice. This happens by influencing access to opportunities for collaboration, emotional support, and valuable information on scheduling, in order to mitigate the ambiguity or uncertainty associated with certain situations. […] Our results show that the work organization influences how interactions are used to access network resources. Indeed, the temporal setup of shifts and the formation of work teams imposes significant limits to the extent that workers’ paths cross. For example, people working the night shift, of whom many are mothers, are less represented in the collaboration network and interact mostly among themselves in the other networks. […] This brings us to the conclusion that, as the main person responsible for WFB, women are forced to be more active in seeking the resources necessary to implement their WFB strategies. […] This also highlights the relational expertise that women must develop in order to efficiently identify partners for shift swaps and helpful teammates to facilitate their WFB.» (p. 331-332)