Atypical Working

‘Atypical’ or ‘non-standard’ work usually describes any work that is not full-time, open-ended employment with regular hours.

Compared with 2010, there are proportionally fewer people today working variable hours, working part-time involuntarily, or wanting to work more hours. The proportion of people in non-permanent employment and on low pay (earning 60% of median earnings) has also fallen. And where people are in atypical arrangements, the evidence suggests most non-permanent workers choose this type of employment because it suits their lifestyle needs.

However, the report – based on data analysis from a range of sources including the ONS – confirms that insecurity does remain a problem for a significant minority of workers. The CIPD is therefore calling on employers and government to put choice and job quality at the heart of discussions about ways of working, in order to protect people from insecure working arrangements that do not suit their needs.

Key findings from CIPD’s report ‘Has work become less secure?’ show that:

• Almost 1 in 5 workers (18.6%) are non-permanent employees (self-employed or on temporary contracts). This has fallen from 19.2% in 2010.

• People are generally more able to get the hours that they want, and regular hours, more so than at the beginning of the 2010s.
• Zero hours contracts account for just 2.8% of the workforce. While often maligned, almost two thirds (64.5%) of people on zero hours contracts have a permanent role so are likely to have full employment rights, subject to length of service. The vast majority are not looking for a new job (84.6%) and most (75.5%) do not want more hours.

While work is more secure on most measures, the study recognises that pockets of insecurity persist in the UK labour market:

• One in ten people (8%) of the UK’s workforce would like to work more hours

• 3% are involuntarily working part-time as they’re unable to find a full-time role

• A third (33%) of temporary employees (representing 1.9% of all employees) would like a permanent job.

• Zero hours contracts account for just 2.8% of the workforce, but they are disproportionately concentrated among young people and in sectors such as hospitality (14% of workforce) and in health and social work to a lesser extent.

To address these challenges the CIPD has published guidance to help employers use atypical and insecure contracts responsibly, ensuring that flexibility is two-sided and mutually beneficial. Access the guidance here.