Major change over full-time work being seen in UK workplaces - your rights

Major change over full-time work being seen in UK workplaces - your rights A new study by the Resolution Foundation, which is close to Downing Street, has uncovered a major change in what is going at work across the UK Experts have released a report on a major change being seen in workplaces across the UK. The Resolution Foundation has uncovered an unusual shift in the way men are working. And there seems to be some mystery over what is going on. Hannah Slaughter, principal economist at the organisation, which has strong links to Andy Burnham's Labour government, said it was ‘still a bit of an open question” why the change has taken place. It’s all to do with the number of men working full time - which has dropped steeply. At the same time, numbers for women have barely moved. The law in the UK allows people to make a request to change their hours. Flexible working legislation also allows workers to make a request over when they start and finish, the days they work and where they work. Such a request can be made from day one. Employers must then assess the request and deal with it a "reasonable manner". Ms Slaughter said: “Fewer people want to work full-time, but interestingly that has been entirely driven by men.” She shared data that showed the desire for full-time work among men has fallen by about 15 percentage points between 2015 and 2025. She said the fall was among 8 to 29 year olds and 30 to 49 year olds, with a smaller drop among 50 to 64 year olds. She said: “I think it's still a bit of an open question kind of why that's happening.” Her analysis comes after her think tank published a report into the issue this month. One area the Resolution Foundation examined was whether the fall in men wanting to work full-time was due to dads taking more responsibility with childcare. But she said this did not appear to be the cause of the change - with figures for men who had no children falling even more than for those with children. She said: “It is kind of potentially the case that you know there's been something that's acting across men to kind of push down desire for full-time work and maybe something else is pushing in the other direction for women. Certainly an important but open question there." The report found that job satisfaction was at the lowest level ever recorded by the British Social Attitudes survey. And it showed that the proportion of Brits willing to work harder than necessary to help their employer succeed has also dropped to its lowest ever level in the last 10 years. The report also revealed widespread concern over the impact AI will have on jobs. Ms Slaughter said: “Britain’s labour market has changed significantly over the past decade, and so too have people’s expectations of work. Our analysis suggests that workers increasingly want jobs that provide flexibility, independence and financial security. But many feel those expectations are not being met. Ensure our latest money headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings “The result is rising frustration among workers, who report lower job satisfaction, declining willingness to go above and beyond, and a reduced appetite for full-time work. This ‘dissatisfaction drain’ is self-evidently bad for workers, but it also doesn’t bode well for productivity and labour supply, both of which are vital for lifting living standards in the years ahead.” John Curtice, co-editor of the British Social Attitudes report, said: "This invaluable analysis suggests that, for the most part, the current difficulties in Britain’s labour market cannot simply be accounted for workers’ attitudes. Young people have not become more ‘work-shy’, nor have workers in general become more reluctant to change jobs. But if workers are to be fully engaged in their work, it has seemingly become more important for employers to provide jobs that are both financially rewarding and have flexible work hours." Find out more about how to apply for flexible working on the government's dedicated web page.