The idea that women who return to part-time work after breaks in employment generally find themselves over-qualified for their role is a myth, a government report will claim next month.
The DTI report will show that women returning to the labour market are only over-qualified for their job in five areas. These are administrative, secretarial, sales, caring and service occupations.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Wendy Olsen, gender pay expert at the University of Manchester and one of the report’s authors, said: “We didn’t find general levels of over-qualification; it was mainly restricted to these five areas.”
The report contradicts the findings of research by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), published in February this year.
Part Time Is No Crime – So Why The Penalty? claimed more than half of the UK’s part-time workers were in jobs that they felt failed to capitalise on their qualifications, skills and previous management experience.
