Full time employee work being phased out?

[David Johnson]

Yes, I know. The subject title is a bit like a Daily Mail headline.

However, interesting article in the Guardian today about this topic.



Despite the government banging on about the 1.6 million jobs created under the coalition government, a report produced by the Resolution Foundation shows that between 2008 and 2013, the total number of employed jobs fell in nine of 12 regions , ranging from a drop of 156,000 posts in Scotland, to a fall of 24,000 in the east Midlands. The only place in which there was a discernible increase in employee status jobs was in London.

Any increase in the number in work in other regions over the 2008 baseline, after four years of recovery, was due to rising rates of self-employment, which was up everywhere except Northern Ireland.

Now the government would argue that this huge increase in self-employment represents an enormous rise in entrepreneur activity in the UK. Not much joy here. The report finds that while weekly wages for employees have fallen 6% since 2007, the typical self-employed pay has tumbled by 20% in the same time. This leaves the typical self-employed person now being paid 40% less than the average employee.

The government might argue that the figures do not include 2014 but hey, even in an economic upturn, companies experience peaks and troughs of demand so with the widespread increase in zero hours contracts, why should employers provide commitments to full time jobs with all the employee rights that provides?

Unless there is a big change to zero hours contracts, I would guess they will become the norm.

[cockneygeezer2009]

"Full time employee work being phased out?"

Possibly. Full employment seems to to be the government objective or getting everyone off benefits. There has been at least 1 million on the dole every year since the mid 70's so i can't see it happening.

A lot of new jobs are part time or temp jobs obtained through agencies so companies can have a flexible workforce when and as they need them. As for zero hours contracts they will be used even more frequently to keep the workforce 'flexible'. The nature and world of work is changing.

Full time employment is being phased out for people with no skills and/or qualifications.

[David Johnson]

"Full time employment is being phased out for people with no skills and/or qualifications."

This is true to a certain extent, but for example, more than half of universities and colleges use lecturers on zero hours contracts. There is also a high use of zero hours contracts in the arts world which does not necessarily include only people without skills and/or qualifications.

In fact, many employers in the more attractive areas of the media and the arts seem to get away with using people on a full-time basis for free e.g. interns. Most interns working in this environment would love to be on a zero hours contract!!

As the pressure on financing and profits gets ever higher, I am sure you will find zero hour contracts becoming increasingly popular, irrespective of skillsets.