New research reveals almost half of workers in the South East want more flexibility at work

A YouGov poll commissioned by Amazon, reveals almost half (44%) of working parents in the South East want more flexibility in their jobs, while one in four (26%) parents in the South East said they would consider switching to a term-time contract.

Furthermore, two fifths (40%) of those questioned in the South East say their current employer offers no opportunity to work flexibly at all.

The survey follows a recent expansion of Amazon’s own ground-breaking term-time working option which aims to help employees and their families. The flexibility guarantees time off during the summer, Christmas and Easter school holidays for parents, grandparents and guardians of school-age children.

Launched as a response to employee feedback, term-time working is now available to thousands of people across Amazon’s operations network following a pilot in the company’s larger fulfilment centres to understand how the option could better support families during school holidays.

The company also recently introduced Amazon Anytime; a flexible part-time contract for a minimum of 80 hours a month, which lets employees pick and mix the shifts which suit their needs - part-day or full-day, day or night, weekday or weekend.

The new survey also reveals:

• More than two thirds (71%) of working parents in the South East say flexible working is a priority when thinking about their next job
• A better work-life balance (60%) and less commuting (49%) are the top perceived benefits of flexibility for working parents in the South East

Jayshri Kakde works at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Milton Keynes as an HR associate partner. Jayshri, who lives in Kempston, has been with Amazon for 11 years and has worked at a number of different sites, including the fulfilment centre in Dunstable.

As a busy working mum, Jayshri jumped at the opportunity to take on a term-time contract last year and she says that decision has had a hugely positive impact on her and her family life.

“When you have children, you will face issues around childcare if you also have a career. Christmas and Easter are manageable, but the summer holidays are the biggest struggle. Term-time contracts mean I don’t have that stress during the summer, and I can balance my family life with my career,” Jayshri said.

“This summer I’m using the time to take my son to India, where he’ll have his first longer visit with our family. He doesn’t see them often and he’s really looking forward to the opportunity to spend some time and properly get to know them. That’s something which is so, so helpful for me and for us all as a family, and it’s so important for me to have that opportunity and flexibility.”

Jayshri, who recently celebrated her tenth year with Amazon, finishes by explaining that alongside term-time contracts, there’s something else she loves about her role.

“The team we have here is fantastic. The Milton Keynes fulfilment centre has so many different personalities, cultures and experiences,” she added. “You can meet someone who has just joined Amazon or someone who has worked for the company for 25 years – I think that variety is fantastic.”

John Boumphrey, Amazon’s UK Country Manager, said: “These findings clearly demonstrate the huge importance of workplace flexibility, and why it matters so much to employees in Milton Keynes and across the UK. At Amazon, we’re always listening to our employees and innovating for our people, and we’re delighted to offer these ground-breaking contracts to help provide employees and their families more flexible options.

“We have a variety of different full-time and part-time contracts, and we’ve also provided a four-day working week for our fulfilment centre employees for many years. Term-time working and Amazon Anytime are examples of how we continue to use feedback to support our people, help with childcare needs, and give families more time together.”

Amazon employees can also take advantage of Amazon’s pioneering Career Choice programme, which pre-pays up to 95% of costs for nationally accredited courses in high-demand fields (up to £8,000 over four years), regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.

Competitive pay, comprehensive benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment are provided for Amazon employees. The roles pay a minimum of £12.30 per hour depending on location, as well as up to £33,500 a year for degree-level apprenticeships. All employees can also benefit from a package that includes private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, and an employee discount – which combined are worth thousands annually – as well as a company pension plan.

Amazon has been named as a ‘Top Employer UK 2024’ by the Top Employer Institute, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management. This award recognises Amazon’s commitment to the development and well-being of its employees. In addition to the UK accolade, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for a second consecutive year.

Amazon was also recently ranked first in the top 50 employers of veterans in the UK by the GREAT British Employers of Veterans, a comprehensive benchmark of the leading companies that employ veterans.