Member Article

Over one in ten workers choose family

As many as 2.2 million people in the UK have given up full-time employment to care for children or other dependants in the past three years, according to a new report. Research found 15 per cent of adults said they had changed working hours or employment since 2004 to enable them to become carers, with around a third giving up a full-time job.

The study by Lincoln Financial Group revealed 20 per cent of women had made the move compared to 10 per cent of men. It found the estimated 6.9 million who have adapted their working life had taken a range of options to accommodate their new circumstances. Around 555,000 are believed to have cut hours of full-time work, while another 763,000 are now working from home.

Up to 6 per cent of those who have changed working hours or employment in the past three years to look after dependants have set up their own business, survey results found.

Ian Noble, head of life sales and marketing at Lincoln Financial Group, said: “Family-friendly legislation has helped transform the world of work and more and more of us are taking the chance to adapt our working lives. “It is striking that men as well as women are putting their children and other dependants ahead of careers in order to become carers. “Traditionally it has always been women who have had to change jobs but men are now taking a bigger role.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .