Part-time work in Italy: effects on compensation and social security

In completing the legal framework of the part-time employment contract in Italy, it is essential to provide an in-depth analysis of its implications in terms of social contributions and compensation. This is a contractual formula that on the one hand qualifies - on paper - as a work-life balance contractual instrument, on the other hand it can create the conditions for significant penalties from a social security point of view. These penalisations may contribute to the long-term social security marginalisation of a certain portion of the society. Having reserved this form of contract, predominantly, for the female population and their care needs, ends up creating the conditions for the pension ‘poverty’ that data on gender pay differences have long highlighted. If the burden of care activities still weighs heavily on women, forcing them to leave their jobs when their children are born (according to the Italian Labour Ispectorate data - in 2022 out of a total of 61,391 requests for validation of resignations, 72.8% concerned women) or opting (voluntarily or involuntarily) for part-time work, the immediate and long-term consequences end up falling on their future retirement. The splitting of careers and the need to fall back on a legal institution - such as part-time work - that affects retirement savings, in fact fuels a trend that data (INPS and COVIP) have been highlighting for some time: wo...