Part-time work: What can Czechia learn from Germany, France, or the Netherlands?

Part-time employment remains rare in Czechia despite its potential benefits for work-life balance, especially for parents. A new study from the Institute for Democracy and Economic Analysis (IDEA) highlights why.

Only one in 10 women in Czechia works part-time—compared to three in five in the Netherlands and over half in Austria. Czech mothers with children under four have the lowest employment rate in the EU, but once their children are over 10, their employment rate becomes the highest.

For men, part-time work is usually linked to health issues or difficulty finding full-time employment rather than childcare responsibilities.

Part-time jobs are most common in administrative sectors, where their prevalence is close to the EU average. The IT sector is the only field where Czech women’s share of part-time jobs exceeds the EU average. The greatest disparities between Czechia and the EU are in construction, agriculture, and mining, where women are employed less frequently—possibly due to a lack of part-time opportunities.

Rigid labor laws, limited childcare options, and traditional gender roles make part-time work an unfeasible choice for many Czech workers.

“Czech women, especially mothers of young children, are often faced with the choice between leaving the labor market altogether or returning to full-time work,” analysts Jakub Grossmann and Daniel Munich said in the IDEA study.

Drawing comparisons to other West European countries, the study's authors underlined systematic flaws in Czechia’s societal infrastructure and economy. They pointed to the lack of access to nurseries and kindergartens, an inadequate supply of care for the elderly, uneven shift work in industrial production, the relatively low impact of the services sectors, and relatively high taxes on small wages.

Notably, IDEA highlighted that traditional gender roles in Czech families often prevent women from taking on part-time work. 

In 2023, the Czech Republic introduced a discount on employer-paid insurance premiums for part-time employees over 55, full-time students, individuals with disabilities, and those caring for children under 10. However, its impact has yet to be evaluated.

Experts suggest Czechia could learn from other EU countries to improve part-time work opportunities. The Netherlands has a fairer tax system for part-time workers, Germany allows easier transitions between full-time and part-time roles, and France offers temporary reduced working hours for family needs. Expanding part-time roles in the public sector could also be a step forward, say the study’s authors.