Part-time career penalty highlighted by survey

Women who work part time are almost four times more likely to have progressed their careers since having children as those who work full time, according to a workingmums.co.uk survey.

Analysis of the workingmums.co.uk’s annual survey based on over 2,000 responses shows that just five per cent of part-time workers said they had progressed a lot at work since having children, compared to 18% of full-time workers. Twenty per cent of part timers said they had progressed a little, compared to 28% of full timers. Full timers included those who had no flexibility in their hours worked, those with flexi hours, those with the ability to work from home at least some or all of the week and those doing term-time hours.

The analysis also shows that part-time workers are more likely than full timers to feel stuck in the job they are in because they don’t think they will be able to find a new one with the same degree of flexibility they now have. Over half [55%] of part timers felt very stuck, compared to 41% of full timers.

Part timers were also more likely to feel that they were discriminated against because of their flexible working than full timers [35% compared to 28%] and were more likely to be interested in retraining [67% compared to 60%] and to have considered starting up a business [59% compared to 55%].

Part-time workers, however, were more likely to say they had enough flexibility in their jobs [68% compared to 49% of full timers]. Eighty-six per cent of full timers would like a four-day week.

On some issues the two types of workers were closely aligned. Around a third had had to take time off work due to mental health issues, mainly a combination of work and family-related stress, and both agreed that having more flexible senior roles was the most important factor in helping them progress their careers [54% of part timers and 56% of full timers].

• Vote  
• 0
• 0
• You already voted!