Monday 5th August, 2024, London – As parents across the UK plan ways to keep their children active and entertained during the school holidays, new research reveals that one in three working parents with young children would consider term-time only working to improve work/life balance.
A YouGov poll of nearly 2,500 working adults, commissioned by Amazon, reveals almost half (48%) want more flexibility in their jobs, with better work/life balance the most popular reason (62%).
Almost a third (32%) of parents with primary school-aged children (5-11) said they would consider switching to a term-time contract. This was 27% for all parents with children 18 and under.
Furthermore, 40% of those questioned say their current employer offers no opportunity to work flexibly at all.
The survey follows a recent expansion of Amazon’s own ground-breaking term-time working option which aims to help employees and their families. The flexibility guarantees time off during the summer, Christmas and Easter school holidays for parents, grandparents and guardians of school-age children.
Launched as a response to employee feedback, term-time working is now available to thousands of people across Amazon’s operations network following a pilot in the company’s larger fulfilment centres to understand how the option could better support families during school holidays.
The company also recently introduced Amazon Anytime; a flexible part-time contract for a minimum of 80 hours a month, which lets employees pick and mix the shifts which suit their needs - part-day or full-day, day or night, weekday or weekend.
Karolina Szafraniec works at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Kegworth and recently switched to the term-time working option: “Having this extended time off is what I’ve always wanted motherhood to look like. You don’t rush anywhere, it’s so peaceful and I can give my children my full attention. The guarantee of six weeks off in summer takes away all the stress that comes with shorter periods of annual leave – I really love it.”
“It was a game changer for me. My partner and I don’t have our parents nearby, so it’s just us looking after the kids. When I found out about the contracts, I knew I had to get one. It can be such a struggle as a parent to plan everything and I think sometimes we take for granted how hard it is to be a parent and work full-time. Term-time contracts are an incredible thing.”
The new survey also reveals:
- Flexible start/finish times are the most appealing choice amongst all working adults (60%), followed by options to spend time working from home (52%), and the chance to pick your own shift (35%)
- More than 7 in 10 (72%) adults say flexible working is a priority when thinking about their next job (31% say they’ll be looking to move in the next 12 months)
- Less commuting (49%) and less stress/improved wellbeing (45%) follow work/life balance as the top perceived benefits of flexibility
John Boumphrey, Amazon’s UK Country Manager, said: “These findings clearly demonstrate the huge importance of workplace flexibility, and why it matters so much to employees across the UK. At Amazon, we’re always listening to our employees and innovating for our people, and we’re delighted to offer these ground-breaking contracts to help provide employees and their families more flexible options.
“We have a variety of different full-time and part-time contracts, and we’ve also provided a four-day working week for our fulfilment centre employees for many years. Term-time working and Amazon Anytime are examples of how we continue to use feedback to support our people, help with childcare needs, and give families more time together.”
David Brownhill is a single dad, with twin daughters, who joined Amazon in Swansea six years ago and recently switched to term-time working: “This contract takes so much pressure off, particularly as a single parent, when you’re managing a number of conflicting priorities. I’m trying to do the best I can for my kids and this flexibility gives me certainty.
“Before Amazon, my previous job took up much of my life and I lost some of the magical times with them when they were young. As I’ve got older my mindset has changed and I’m trying to catch up and be there more. The flexibility has a very positive impact and creates a great balance in the family unit. We’re all happier for it.”
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Notes to Editors:
Workplace flexibility featured in Labour’s election manifesto, with a pledge to ‘ensure workers can benefit from flexible working, including opportunities for flexi-time contracts and hours that better accommodate school terms...’ At Amazon there are multiple types of contracts available for operation employees including term-time working, shift swaps and ‘Anytime’ pick-your shift options, as well as a standard 40 hour working week.
YouGov fieldwork was undertaken between 21st- 25th June 2024. The survey questions were asked to 4,237 UK adults, of which 2,407 were working adults. This survey was conducted online. The figures were weighted to be representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
Amazon UK Press Office
Email: pressoffice@amazon.co.uk