Part-timers lose out over job promotion

More than three-quarters of part-time workers feel they have no opportunity for advancement where they work, according to research from the Timewise Foundation, an organisation that promotes flexible working.

A Timewise report, Flexibility Trap, found that almost three in four of the 1,000 part-time workers interviewed said they haven’t been promoted once since working part-time, and more than a fifth (22%) said they wouldn’t even expect to be. Yet more than a quarter said they are overqualified for their part-time roles.

The report also found almost two-thirds (63%) of part-time workers believe promotion with their employer will only be possible if they increase their hours. Opportunities elsewhere are also limited with only a small minority (3%) of UK job vacancies for part-time roles offering £20,000 or more. The shortage of quality part-time jobs left more than three-quarters (77%) of respondents saying they feel trapped.

Karen Mattison, co-founder of the Timewise Foundation, said millions of part-time workers are “hitting a wall at key points in their careers, when they want to progress or move to a new role”.

http://timewisefoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Flexibility_Trap_-report.pdf