Poor pay for civil service part-timers

Part-time workers in the civil service are still losing out on pay, progression and appraisals, according to an analysis of recent figures by the PCS civil service union.

Part-time working in the civil service has doubled in the last 10 years, but 65% of part-time workers are in the lowest grades and earn on average £3,000 less pro rata than full-time workers.

PCS also commissioned a poll of 1,000 UK adults, which found that over a quarter think part-time workers are less committed to their work.

On a more positive note, the poll found that, a year after flexible working rights were introduced, 70% of employers allow their employees to adopt working patterns that help them to balance work and home life.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "People are increasingly being given the option to work flexibly... Worryingly, though, people who do so are viewed by a sizeable minority of their colleagues as putting less effort in, and often lose out on career progression and pay."