Tesco, B&Q and John Lewis to launch scheme helping careers of part-time workers

Tesco, B&Q, Dixons, Carphone Warehouse and the John Lewis Partnership are joining a initiative to open up more managerial positions to part-time workers.

A 12-month pilot scheme run by flexible work group Timewise aims to identify operational constraints on working flexibly or part time in managerial roles, and how to redesign jobs to overcome them.

Timewise said that a lack of managerial roles for part-time workers who require flexibility means that many are “trapped” from career progression by their needs, and not by their lack of skills.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Flexibility is the second most important reason to work in retail, but in some cases this is a trade-off which may hold some people back from fulfilling their potential.

“It is important that these part-time workers are able to progress within organisations when they choose to.”

Research has found that over two thirds of retail workers would take a managerial job if they could maintain flexible or part time hours and over half believe they are less likely to get promoted if they worked part-time.

Emma Stewart, joint chief executive of Timewise, said: “Flexibility in working hours is one of the most important reasons why people choose to work in retail.

“With a post-Brexit labour market in sight, jobs designed with their people in mind is what will create a win-win situation for UK retailers.