Women more likely to adapt working hours to caring responsibilities than men

Women in Malta are reporting greater use in teleworking arrangements, as well as taking slightly greater load in childcare responsibilities. 

According to data from the National Statistics Office on work-life reconciliation, women in 2018 had slightly more childcare responsibilities (41,701) than men (40,452). 

But it appears that more women are adapting their careers or workloads to take on caring responsibilities, a preliminary publication on the data shows. 

Women with care responsibilities worked on average 34.3 hours per week, while men were working 42.2 hours per week, that is 8 hours more. 

Almost one in five women (20%) had reduced their working time whereas 12.7 % of men resorted to ways in which they could increase their income. 

And more women reported flexibility in organising their working time to take whole days off (41.1%  as opposed to 31.2% of men). 

One in every three employees (32.8%) with care responsibilities reported flexible working arrangements. A larger share of women, 56.2%, had the possibility to vary the start and end of their working day when compared to their male counterpart, 40.6%. 

Teleworking arrangements were used by more females, 17.4%, then men, 11.4%. 

The NSO said that long working hours was the most common obstacles cited (21.8%) for reconciliating work and family life.  

Caring for children and elderly 

More than one fourth took care of children under 15 years of age (26.4%), 3.5% took care of ill, elderly or disabled relatives and 2.1% reported multigenerational care responsibilities.  

On average, persons with childcare responsibilities were 39 years old while those with ill, elderly or disabled care responsibilities were 48 years old. 

The majority of persons with care responsibilities were employed (78.2 per cent), 20.4% were inactive and a further 1.4% were unemployed.  

One in every 4 persons with childcare responsibilities used childcare services. The majority of persons with childcare responsibilities arranged care alone or with their partner (60.2%) while for 12.7% children could take care of themselves. 

Nearly 12% of persons with childcare responsibilities had informal support in their children’s care namely grandparents’ help (11.6%). The majority of persons aged between 18 and 64 stated that despite being employed and having children they did not take a career break (66.1%).