An embodied examination of the gendered impacts of time during unemployment and related considerations for organisational inclusion

Employers play a key role in supporting the inclusion of unemployed people. However, organisational diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices do not typically address discrimination against people experiencing unemployment. Utilising a semi-systematic breakout review, we identify five gendered factors that contribute to the risk of unemployment exclusion: (1) household factors, including breadwinning norms and caring responsibilities, (2) individual health and well-being, (3) socio-economic factors including education and social class, (4) decision-making and support, particularly by welfare states and (5) stigma. We apply a temporal lens to understand these factors as the basis of unemployment discrimination. First, we use the root metaphor ‘TIME IS MONEY’ to understand the role of capitalist temporality in reproducing perceptions that unemployment is time wasting. We then introduce an alternative, embodied perspective on unemployed temporality which contributes to the conceptualisation of unemployment at a meso level. Focusing on the neglected role of employers in supporting the inclusion of unemployed people, we propose a future research agenda for determining meaningful employer DEI strategies.