UK / 75% of Part-timer unable to progress within their firm research finds

Research shows that more than 75% of workers who opt for shorter working hours are unable to progress within their firm (Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor)

More than three quarters of part-time workers feel trapped in their jobs and unable to get promoted or find another flexible role that fits their skills, according to research.

A quarter of Britons now work 30 hours or less, but a survey of 1,000 employees earning the equivalent of £20,000 to £100,000 a year suggests those who have opted to do shorter working weeks often “hit a wall” and see their careers stall.

The research is included in a report by the Timewise Foundation, entitled The Flexibility Trap, published on Monday.

It said that only around 3% of UK job vacancies for part-time roles offered a pro-rata salary of £20,000 or more, and workers were being forced to lower their expectations when searching for work.

Seven in 10 of respondents said they had downgraded the salary and level of job they applied for, with the average salary sacrifice at £6,730. Employees with children expected to take home £436 less than those without.

Almost three-quarters of those interviewed by researchers said they haven’t been promoted since working part-time, with more than a fifth saying they wouldn’t expect to be. Yet more than a quarter said they are overqualified for the part-time role they currently hold.

Almost all (99%) said they wished employers would make it clear when advertising a job whether it can be worked part-time or flexibly, and there was uncertainty about at when it was right to ask.

“Work in the UK is undergoing a fundamental shift,” said Karen Mattison, co-founder of the Timewise Foundation, a business aimed at supporting part-time workers. Mattison added: “More than a quarter of UK workers are part-time or flexible, with most needing to fit their careers with something else in life. Yet millions are hitting a wall at key points in their careers, when they want to progress or move to a new role.”

Read the whole story at  (Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor)

via Part-time workers ‘trapped’ in jobs with no chance of promotion | Money | The Guardian.