Challenging the “Ideal Worker” Norm? Senior Managers Navigating Reduced Hours Working

Reduced hours working at senior management levels remains rare and little is known about how it can be utilized effectively in organizations. This article focuses upon two forms of reduced hours working among a sample of 42 senior executives and managers: reduced hours and job share partnerships. In contrast to earlier research, this study found greater optimism among senior managers who worked reduced hours regarding their career prospects but also high levels of work intensification and a tendency to work on non-working days. In contrast, job share partnerships enabled managers to feel they were more able to contain work, facilitating a greater sense of work-life balance and wellbeing. Drawing upon Acker's “ideal worker” concept, we argue that job share partnerships challenge the dominant “ideal” career narrative and offer a route to sustainable careers and enhanced wellbeing, to the benefit of individuals and organizations.