Flexible hours appeals to the nation’s workers

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One in ten of UK employees would be willing to leave their current careers if flexible working was offered elsewhere, research commissioned by direct selling company Vorwerk has revealed.

A tenth of the population would change career if it allowed them to have the freedom to work when they want to, with a significant 29 per cent of the nation stating they would like to have a better work-life balance and 9 per cent admitting they would like to work less hours.

Those living in the West Midlands are the keenest to change career in favour of more flexible hours (15 per cent), followed by the South West (14 per cent) and Yorkshire (14 per cent).

In addition, men (12 per cent) are more eager to have an adjustable working structure than women (9 per cent), according to the research findings.

Employees aged between 35 and 44 want flexibility the most (14 per cent), followed by 45 to 54-year-olds (12 per cent) and 18 to 24-year-olds (10 per cent).

The majority (64 per cent) of people living in the UK have considered changing career for several factors, with 61 per cent stating that they would like to run their own business.

Speaking about the findings, Thomas Henningsson, Sales Director from Vorwerk, said: “We are not surprised with the figures around flexible working to fit around the modern working lifestyle. We are seeing an increasing number of disgruntled employees looking for a fresh start enquiring about direct selling with us.

“We’d encourage anyone considering dipping their toe into the self-employed water to look at options like Vorwerk. At Vorwerk you have the flexibility and earnings potential of being your own boss – but a degree of structure and lots of support to help you in your quest to become an entrepreneur.”

Naomi Timperley, Vorwerk business influencer and candidate of BBC Two’s television show Dragons’ Den, said: “One of the great benefits of working for yourself is that you can work your own hours. I have created my own role and I am allowed to be flexible, so I can work from home, and go to parents' evening and school plays. If you do something you love you will never work a day in your life, they say, and that’s really true.”