For every one worker who wishes to increase hours to full time there are two workers who want to move to a part time arrangement!

That's one of the findings of a comprehensive federal Productivity Commission working paper on the steady growth of part time employment in Australia. Part Time Employment: The Australian Experience is backed by data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics (HILDA) survey and it shows the steady growth of part time work as an employment arrangement of choice for both men and women.

Part Time Online (www.parttimeonline.com.au) director Liana Gorman said the data showed that the number of people wanting to move to part time arrangements was increasing.

“The report shows that an increasing number of people would prefer a part time arrangement. In the current climate of very low unemployment, part time employment is an invaluable way for employers to retain and motivate existing staff as well as attracting potential recruits who are unable or unwilling to commit to full time work,” Ms Gorman said.

“Some employers have become more flexible but the paper shows that it is in their best interests to do more.”

Part time employment in Australia has grown from 10% of overall employment in 1966 to 30% of overall employment in 2007. While the increased number of women in the workforce has affected this overall figure, the number of both men and women working part time has increased over this period, with men in part time employment increasing from 4% to 15% and women part timers increasing from 24% to 45%.

Much of this growth has occurred despite industrial and institutional arrangements to limit part time work – a growth that can be attributed as a response to major economic and social change. Since the mid 1990s employers have used part time employment as a “swing workforce mechanism” to respond to changes in labour demand and to better respond to customer demands in the wake of deregulated business/shopping hours.

But there is also evidence of a change in attitudes with regards to issues of worklife balance, both in the mindset of employees and employers, with part time employment continuing to grow steadily not only in economic downturns but also in subsequent recoveries. According to the HILDA data, the four most frequent reasons for working part time are:

• To combine work and education
• To care for children
• Because part time work is preferred, and
• Because full time work could not be found.

Employers still have some way to go when it comes to satisfying the flexible working expectations of existing staff. The report stated that:

“There is also a considerable number of full time workers who wish to work part time and reduce their involvment in work, taking into account the effect on their income. Indeed, data from the HILDA survey suggest that there were more than two workers who wanted to move from full time work to part time work for every part time worker who wanted full time working hours.”

Employers could better retain experienced staff - particularly older workers - for longer if they offered more part time and flexible working arrangements, the report found.

HILDA data shows that many workers are using part time work as a way of transitioning into retirement and that 43% of those workers who have successfully moved to part time as a transition to retirement, would not be working at all if they were obliged to work full time. However, arranging transitional part time employment is often not a smooth process and the data shows that some 65% of men and women changed their employer in order to achieve their desired part time arrangement.

The paper also points out simply raising workforce participation is not the only winner here.

“Rather providing flexible working arrangements, including the option of part time employment, which enables workers to vary their working hours more in accord with their underlying preferences, will improve the community’s wellbeing.”

The HILDA data also revealed that part time workers were:

• More satisfied with their home lives in a range of indicators compared to full time workers
• Less likely to report that their jobs had a negative impact on parenting or on the quality and quantity of family time.

Ms Gorman added:
“The survey data demonstrates that part time workers are often happier, more motivated and more productive than their full time counterparts. Not everyone wants to work part time, but opening opportunities for those who do will give employers the edge in recruitment and retention.”

About Part Time Online: With over 30% of the working population choosing to work part-time or flexible hours, the general shift in the workplace continues to move towards a more flexible employment approach. Part Time Online has identified the need to introduce a technology platform that would support and encourage that move through a comprehensive community environment.

As more people are looking to work flexible hours and employers seek to employ part-time, job share, casual and flexible staff, Part Time Online was created as the community site to bring the two together through a simple and direct contact process.

For more information see www.parttimeonline.com.au.

Media Contacts: Liana Gorman, director, Part Time Online 02 9369 1133 or 0423 451145