Women, Precarious Work and Care: The Failure of Family-friendly Rights

by Emily Grabham

Overview

Most workers on temporary, zero hours and involuntary part-time contracts in the UK are women. Many are also carers. Yet employment law tends to exclude such women from family-friendly rights. Drawing on interviews with women in precarious work, this book exposes the everyday problems that these workers face balancing work and care. It argues for stronger and more extensive rights that address precarious workers’ distinctive experiences. Introducing complex legal issues in an accessible way, this crucial text exposes the failures of family-friendly rights and explains how to grant these women effective rights in the wake of COVID-19.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781529218718
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Publication date:	09/21/2021
Series:	Law, Society, Policy
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.99(h) x (d)

About the Author

Emily Grabham is Professor of Law at the University of Kent with research interests in labour and employment law, law and time, and feminist legal theory.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Starting and Surviving in Precarious Work 3. Providing Care: Daily Routines and Experiences 4. Care Networks 5. “Rocking the Boat”: Talking About Care in a Precarious Job 6. How Employers Responded 7. What Women Did Next 8. Care-Friendly Rights for Precarious Workers Appendix: How the Research Was Conducted

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Taking a feminist approach, this book gives a voice to women who are so often missing from public policy debates reconciling work and family life. Trade unions will find this book invaluable in negotiating stronger family-friendly rights." Ruth Cross, Usdaw

"An essential and accessible read. Grabham’s gendered analysis of living with precarious work challenges family-friendly employment law to reveal the real issues and what needs to be done to fix them." Nicole Busby, University of Glasgow

“Foregrounding women's own voices as they tell their stories, this accessible book illuminates the many difficulties precarious work creates for women. It crucially offers a clear set of achievable, practical steps towards secure, family-friendly work for all workers.” Rebecca Jones, Working Families

Editorial Reviews

"Emily Grabham’s vivid portrayal of women’s struggle to care for their families and to survive on precarious work offers a fresh and compelling approach to family friendly rights." Judy Fudge, McMaster University

From the Publisher