Changing patterns of employment

1
Changing patterns of employment

• Part-time working 48 of women and 8 of men
  who work are part-timers.
• Temporary contracts This has risen, it now
  accounts for about 8 of UK workers.
• Self-employment Has fallen, but still accounts
  for 14.4 of all workers.
• Women in work In 15 years the numbers have risen
  by around 20.
• Consultants and contractors This has risen, many
  firms use these rather than their own permanent
  employees.
• WHY HAVE A FLEXIBLE WORKFORCE?
• Essentially full time, salaried workers are being
  replaced by temporary or sub-contracted workers.
  This is aimed generally to improve
  competitiveness via increased flexibility and
  reducing wage costs.
• Advantages
• Firms can pay lower wages via lower wage rates
  and/or only employing when needed (also they
  dont have associated costs, e.g. pensions).
• Coping with demand changes increase, decrease or
  alterations.
• Training costs
• Access to specialist workers
• Choosing staff

2

• Disadvantages
• Communication
• Staff turnover
• Morale
• FLEXIBLE EMPLOYMENT The end of permanent
  full-time work??
• A balance must be met, depending often on each
  particular circumstance. Think of examples where
  employment is mainly full-time permanent and
  others where it is flexible part-time. WHY?