Up to one-third of UK employees work outside traditional working hours

A survey conducted by banking firm First Direct, in conjunction with the Centre for Economics and Business Research, found that staff working between 5pm and 9am add £180bn to the economy.‘Five-to-nine’ generally refers to people who work in shifts, work flexible hours or simply work on into the evening. It represents more than 16% of all hours spent at work.

First Direct believes this amount of money will more than double by 2027 to £450bn, while the proportion of the workforce in non-traditional hours will grow to 35%.

Speaking in Personnel Today, Chief executive Chris Pilling said: “British business has faced up to the challenge to deliver services around the clock. As a result, it’s no longer just factory workers and bar staff who work unusual hours. We’ve seen a fundamental change in working patterns, with ever-increasing numbers of workers embracing flexi-time, job shares and other innovative working arrangements.”