Is work in the UK becoming less secure? Are temporary work and the gig economy endangering the future of work? These were but a few of the issues tackled by the CIPD in their most recent Megatrends report released last week. The report looks at the security of work in the UK in recent years. There is an overarching view that due to the ever-growing popularity of atypical working i.e the gig economy, zero-hours contracts, agency work, etc. that job stability is being threatened with the "job for life" becoming a thing of the past. The report is an absorbing read, breaking the issue down into sections including unemployment trends, the structure of employment, definitions of job insecurity, job stability, and most interestingly the views and concerns of those in non-permanent work. Ultimately this report dispels any worrying concerns over the security and future of work in the UK as the market is no less unstable than it was 20 years ago stating that "The underlying labour market story over the past 20 years has been structural stability against a background of rising demand for labour. Unemployment and redundancies are at historic lows, unfilled vacancies at record highs." While as the CIPD report states, "The permanent employee remains the norm for most people and jobs are just as stable as they were 20 years ago", the benefits of flexible working and the rising popularity of non-permanent work cannot be ignored. Most recently the topic of flexible working came to the fore during the unprecedented heatwave that brought businesses and offices to a standstill across the UK with a myriad of transport and health & safety issues. The TUC made a statement advising employers on how to deal with the high heat in the workplace, with flexible hours as one of the solutions "Often staff have to travel to work in overcrowded trains or buses. Allowing them the flexibility to finish either earlier or later can help, as can allowing them more frequent rest breaks." However, according to the Global Recruiter, "A study [...] has found a third of UK office workers (32 percent) are still not given the option of flexible working by their employer." The survey also found that "70 percent of those who haven’t benefitted from flexible working yet wish they had the option of a better work/life balance. Over three quarters (79 percent) of office workers believe working flexibly would make them more productive, with more than two thirds (68 percent) claiming they would be more motivated if they had the option to take a more flexible approach to the time they spend in the office and working remotely." With this longing for a better work/life balance and the concerns of job market security being debunked, could the future of flexible and stable working ironically be in temporary positions? On the benefits that temporary workers bring to the business landscape, our transport and logistics recruitment consultant Kim Mead states that "the positives outweigh the negatives in using this temporary staffing method. Having this style of workforce allows businesses to forecast and plan for peak trading periods which helps boost productivity giving them the workforce as and when you need it." And on benefits for the workers, Kim had this to say "It is not uncommon for people to work a second and even third job that allows them to work around their home life, childcare responsibilities, and other lifestyle requirements. Temporary working allows them to find a balance and flexibility that works for them." Grafton Recruitment Ireland has a wealth of temporary roles across twenty sectors with extremely flexible hours to suit any lifestyle. We offer unmatched customer service and employee support from the moment you register with one of our experienced consultants to you being placed in a role perfectly suited to you, and beyond. If you would like any more information or have a chat with one of our consultants please do not hesitate to give us a call.