Doing Business in Austria 247running. Employment as a clerk doesn’t require much
education, and many clerks are hired for social reasons,
which propagates the abuse of privileges. Many clerks aspire
to become tenured or to join the permanent (pragmatisiert)
staff, which brings job security.
Working Hours
One issue on which Austrian labour unions remain immovable
is the duration of the workweek. Austria has some of the
most limited business hours in all of Europe. Many big
businesses would like longer hours, in order to be able
to operate on evenings and Sundays. Opponents argue
that extended business hours would reduce employees’
flexibility and time with family, and would hurt small family-
owned businesses. Even though most Austrians say
they would probably shop on Sundays if possible, three-
quarters of those polled do not think business hours should
be extended.
Women in the Workforce
Women in Austria are at work. Their education is as good
as men’s, enabling them to land professional positions.
About 44 per cent of the labour force is female. While
60 per cent of female employees work full-time, 40 per cent
hold part-time positions in retail, health, social services and
the service industries. Many women say they would like to
work full-time, but are unable to either because they cannot
find full-time employment or because of their childrearing
duties. Childcare shortages are reported in certain parts of
Austria, primarily in rural areas. This translates into lower
wages for women. The gender pay gap is about 33 per cent,
near the average for the European Union. In the political
arena, 34 per cent of seats in parliament in 2004 were held
by women.
The hardest time for an office is when a female employee
has a baby. Besides granting maternity leave of 24 months
(or up to 30 month depending on the circumstances), the
firm must pay an allowance of roughly € 500 per month and
guarantee the employee’s job when she returns.