The integration of paid work and the rest of life. Is post‐industrial work the new leisure?

Abstract

Two current contradictory trends in Britain are (a) increased interest in the integration of work and personal life, including leisure – often termed work‐life balance and (b) blurred work non‐work boundaries. This paper explores a number of explanations for the apparent dominance of paid work in many people's lives and considers whether postindustrial work is becoming indistinguishable from leisure, as an activity of choice and source of enjoyment. Long working hours among workers with most autonomy are often explained in terms of personal choice, but it is argued here that this neglects the gendered, societal and organisational constraints on choice, identity and perceived obligations. The paper concludes that post industrial work cannot simply be considered 'the new leisure', but that the relative blurring of the boundaries between work and leisure do pose some important questions for the future. The issues are illustrated by qualitative data from a study of working patterns among Chartered Accountants.