Has the traditional 9-5 job had its day?

THE traditional nine-to-five is on the way out – as just 6 per cent of us now work these hours, a poll has found.

Almost 42 per cent are now job sharing or working flexible hours, said a YouGov survey. Almost two-thirds of those working untraditional hours said flexibility was a key feature of a good job.

The YouGov poll, commissioned by McDonald’s, involved 4,000 adults aged over 16 and 1,000 McDonald’s employees across the UK.

It found jobs offering earlier starts and a shorter working week were most appealing to jobseekers. Employees have the right to ask for flexible working after 36 weeks of working – with permission granted at the employer’s discretion.

Paul Pomroy, boss of McDonald’s UK and Ireland, said: ‘People want to work more flexibly, but that doesn’t diminish ambition, desire or opportunity to progress.’

The findings did not detail the hours people did work if not nine-to-five, and McDonald’s declined to comment.