IDS HR Study 715, September 2001

Part-time workers

• Examines how part-time workers are increasingly at the heart of many organisations’ workforces, as both employers and employees see benefits from this type of flexibility in working time.
• Summarises the new Part-time Workers Regulations that seek to provide parity of treatment with full-time workers.
• Looks in detail at the role, working patterns and terms and conditions of part-time workers in 25 organisations, including three detailed case studies.

Over seven million people - one in four of the workforce - work part-time in the UK, a proportion second only to the Netherlands among EU member states. More companies than ever before are reliant upon part-timers to obtain the flexibility required to run their businesses effectively, including covering particularly busy periods or helping to deliver the services demanded by the 24-hour society. This Study explores the benefits that part-time work offers for employers and employees alike. It also looks at the various working patterns involved, examines the reasons why employers offer part-time work and looks at how companies provide part-time workers with a range of employee benefits on a pro rata basis.

In addition, the Study summarises the law surrounding part-time workers, examining in particular the UK's implementation of the Part-time Workers Regulations in July 2000. It details the background to the Regulations and outlines the protection against discrimination they afford to part-time workers. Another section of the Study reviews the latest official statistics on part-time work, identifying the industries and occupations in which part-timers are most likely to be found. It also examines their typical working hours, the prevalence of flexible working arrangements and part-timers' average earnings.

The company practice section of the Study features three detailed case studies on the role of part-time workers and summaries of the arrangements in a further 22 organisations.