The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Employer Perceptions of Part-time Working: the implications for economic recovery and future working

Covid-19 has caused a severe shock to the UK economy, with the highest level of unemployment since the 1980s predicted (Office for Budget Responsibility). Part-time working is increasingly, and internationally, recognised as an alternative to unemployment in a recession, avoiding the costs of benefit payments, loss of tax receipts and some social and health costs of unemployment, whilst retaining skills in the economy.

Despite demand from employees, particularly certain demographics, employers have often perceived part-time working as costly and inconvenient, struggling to create quality part-time jobs. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme's (CJRS), 'flexible furlough' provision allowing employees to work part-time and be part-time furloughed, has effectively been an experiment in part-time working for many employers.

This research is designed to examine employers' experiences of using part-time working under this scheme and whether this has changed their perceptions of its feasibility. Conducting semistructured interviews with managers from selected sectors at two time points, together with a large-scale, representative survey, the research seeks to understand employer responses and whether their perceptions and practices have changed.

The findings will have implications for government policy relating to the role of part-time working in the economic recovery and the encouragement and support government needs to provide for employers.

The research will be carried out in collaboration with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), to enable data collection from a large number of UK employers (c. 20 000) and facilitate impact, together with a Steering Group with membership from professional organisations and government.