More high earners working part-time as firms 'tear up' idea of nine-to-five

More than 770,000 high earners now work part-time, showing how firms are adopting a forward thinking approach to flexible working, a new study shows.

The number of part-time staff on salaries over £40,000 has increased by 5.7% in the past year, said flexible working group Timewise.

A survey of 200 managers showed that two out of five would consider hiring candidates for a senior role as part of a job-share.

Timewise said a growing number of UK businesses were "tearing up" the idea of a nine-to-five, Monday to Friday way of recruiting senior staff.

Co-founder Karen Mattison said: "The dramatic increase in job shares offers us a glimpse into how jobs will be designed in the future.

"All it takes is an open-minded employer who is prepared to try something new in a bid to hire or keep the best people, and an innovative solution is born.

"I am delighted that the conversation is moving away from why people need to work flexibly, to how businesses and individuals are making it work."

Timewise has drawn up a list of organisations where senior staff work part-time or jobshare, including the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office and Lloyds Banking Group.