The research carried out by recruitment specialists, Reed Specialist Recruitment, for its Temporary isn’t temporary campaign, surveyed 5,000 workers and looked at their experience of, and attitude to, temporary and multiple career roles.
When asked about the positive benefits of temporary or short-term working contracts, more than a third (37%) of people in the UK cited work-life balance as the key reason why they have followed this career structure.
Access to a variety of work was mentioned as the next favoured reason at 34%, with more than a quarter (28%) saying a flexible and varied approach to gaining work experience would help boost their CV. A fifth (22%) cited that seeing the family was a major benefit of temporary working.
However, the research also identified the reasons that workers are being deterred from temporary working with more than half (53%) of workers saying they prefer the security of a permanent role. 46% identified that the benefits of a permanent role, such a pensions and sick pay, were important in their preference for longer term roles.
Despite these reasons of income and financial security being of great concern, 66% indicated that they were not worried about the disadvantages of non-permanent work when applying for mortgages or loans. And more than three quarters (77%) said that they weren’t concerned about having to work whenever possible.
Across the UK multiple temporary contract roles seem to be favoured by men with a fifth (21%) of them viewing the increased hourly rate as an advantage against 17% of women. Temporary work appears to be favoured by the next generation and those at the beginning of their careers with 17% of 25-34 year olds considering temporary employment to be their main role.
While a significant number of this age group work permanently, there is also greater than a fifth (21%) of 25-34 year olds holding more than one temporary role and 11% holding more than four temporary roles at one time.
Claire Harvey, Managing Director of Reed for UK & Ireland, said:
“Having surveyed workers across the UK we know they want the flexibility of temporary work but are held back by financial concerns.
“Our research revealed what these financial barriers to temporary working are. From this it is clear that pensions and sick pay are important – fortunately, Reed already has this covered with its own pension scheme for PAYE temporary workers.
“When this barrier is removed there is little stopping workers from chasing their flexible working dream. And the good news is that a market with a healthy amount of temporary work can benefit both employers and employees.
“If employers can deliver the variety and quality of work at the same time as keeping the important flexibility in a role that candidate’s desire, then they will capture the best temporary workers. At Reed, we’ve seen the benefits this can bring to businesses across all industries. When they may not be able to employ a highly-skilled specialist on a permanent basis, a client can benefit from their wisdom through a short-term contract. With the progression of technology in the workplace it’s clear that the traditional 9-5 is disappearing, and as a result temporary or contract working is likely to become more and more common.”
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