Four in 10 employers in banking and insurance said they are unlikely to accept requests from staff to go part-time compared with 19 per cent of all employers.
Less than a quarter said it would be acceptable in nearly all cases compared with more than a third of all employers, the survey carried out by the Institute for Employment Research at Warwick University and IFF Research found.
They were also less inclined to be flexible about the issue.
The researchers surveyed 2,500 employers, including 85 in banking and insurance.
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