New research released today by McDonald’s UK, reveals that 60% of Cardiff adults want to move away from the traditional 9-5 working patterns, and into jobs that prioritise flexibility and enable them to prioritise commitments outside of work.

As one of the largest employers in the UK with a multigenerational workforce of more than 120,000 people, McDonald’s has worked together with YouGov to conduct a major study to better understand working lives in the UK today and how this will shift in the future.  Here’s what researchers found:

Shifting working patterns

• Jobs that offer earlier starts and a shorter working week are most appealing to job seekers; with only 7% of Cardiff workers working the traditional ‘9-5’
• 53% of people in full-time employment would like to start earlier than 9am and finish earlier than 5pm
• Starting at 8am and finishing by 4pm was the most popular option chosen by 36% of respondents
• If given the option, 38% of full-time workers in Cardiff would prefer to work a longer day in return for a shorter working week

Social workplaces, proximity to home and pay top priorities

People want to work closer to home with jobs that allow them to juggle commitments outside work:

• A sociable workplace is one of the key criteria for ‘good jobs’ among over two-thirds of all adults (68%), closely followed by flexibility to work the hours and patterns that suit (60%) and a convenient location (63%)
• Flexibility is an everyday part of working life, with 39% of people working flexibly in one form or another, such as job sharing or compressed hours
• Flexibility is important to people of all ages and life stages, with 68% of parents and 35% of students stating that flexible working allows them to juggle work with family commitments and studying
• 6 in 10 people (60%) would like to work more flexibly in the future 75% saying it would encourage them to stay in a job for longer
• However, barriers remain as 28% don’t believe their employer would let them work flexibly

Views from McDonald’s employees

A survey of 1,000 McDonald’s employees supports the findings in Cardiff. Working in a social workplace topped their priorities (58%), closely followed by the flexibility to work hours that suit them (52%). The ability to develop new skills, such as team work and communications skills, was also a key factor for over half (51%).

Local McDonald’s franchisee Ralph currently employs 750 people across Cardiff. He commented:

“Quite simply, people are looking for jobs that work for them. This research reflects McDonald’s belief that to attract, retain and motivate, employers need to create opportunities that genuinely work for people whatever their age, life stage, or ambition.

“I am proud that at McDonald’s in Cardiff we create jobs which suit different lifestyles and life stages, whether its parents looking to fit a job around family commitments, a student looking to earn some extra money at the weekend or someone looking to progress and take advantage of the training that’s on offer.”