British employers are top among European nations in allowing staff to switch from full- to part-time work and are among the leaders in offering flexi-time arrangements, according to a study of the EU labour market.
Research by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has found that the UK ranks first in Europe when it comes to easily switching from full- to part-time work.
What’s more, only one in five managers in the UK report slightly or significantly worse career prospects for part-time workers than full-time workers, compared to an average of one in three in Europe.
Meanwhile, the Dublin-based EU agency found that more than half, or 56%, of British employers with more than 10 members of staff have flexible working time arrangements in place.
Britain ranks fourth behind Latvia, Sweden and Finland on the European league table; however, the findings show that the degree of flexibility offered by British employers is less advanced than in other parts of Europe.
“This positive approach to flexi-time arrangements is good news for job creation in Europe, since it makes work more attractive, especially for women and older workers,” says Jorma Karppinen, director of the Foundation.
“This survey provides unique knowledge about working time arrangements and practices in the workplace in Europe, and it gives the views of both managers and worker representatives.”
From interviews with 21,000 workplaces across Europe, the Foundation found that those with flexible working time arrangements showed lower absenteeism, higher job satisfaction amongst staff, who showed a better ability to adapt their working hours to their workload.
