Life Stages: Work and Professional Life

Both men and women have freedom to choose employment that suits their abilities and liking.

The famous tea breaks of the British are often labeled as the bane of office productivity.

The majority of women employed in the UK are in the lowest-paid sectors.

Work Norms

The minimum age of employment in the UK is 16 years, after compulsory schooling has been completed. A person’s choice of profession may be partially linked to educational attainment and other complex factors and has little to do with parental choice or social standing. Economic standing may indirectly affect the choice of a career by restricting access to higher education.

The flexibility of the UK's job market allows a great deal of job mobility. Over 10 percent of British workers change jobs every year, compared to a European Union (EU) average of 9 percent. Few British workers seek work in an EU member state different from their country of origin. In fact, the influx of other EU citizens into the UK labor market, especially Central and Eastern Europeans, has put pressure on the UK labor market, but so far any negative repercussions appear to have been offset by the rising tide of the economy.

A typical workday starts at 9 a.m. and finishes by 5 or 6 p.m. Most people are employed in a five-day week and the average workweek is the longest of the EU countries. Despite legislation that reduced work hours, nearly a quarter of British workers work more than 48 hours a week, but most leave their offices early on Fridays and few work on the weekend.

Teatimes

The famous tea breaks of the British, often labeled as the bane of office productivity, have been mentioned in many a song, book, and movie. Everything grinds to a standstill when the clock strikes four and it is time for the “cuppa.” Anyone who goes to get a cup for himself or herself is required to ask everyone around whether they'd like a cup for themselves.

A light lunch of soup, sandwiches, or salads make a typical workday lunch. A survey has revealed that over half of UK workers do not take lunch breaks, particularly those employed in financial services, the public sector, and advertising. Those who take a lunch break have a hurried lunch at their desks lasting half an hour or less in between emails and phone calls.

Women in the Workforce

Although social changes have allowed women to participate in the employment market, women still hold the primary responsibility for childcare, which prevents them from realizing their full potential at work. The majority of employed women are in the lowest-paid sectors. Women in rural areas of the United Kingdom often have limited opportunities, and government programs to increase the level of participation of rural women in various areas of society are attempting to address this problem.

Urban women, on the other hand, have ample opportunities. In the medical field, women hold a majority of nursing and clerical jobs in the UK, and many women are doctors. In the business sector, an ever-growing number of women own and operate their own businesses. Women in the United Kingdom do, however, suffer gender-based pay discrimination, with studies showing that women working full-time are paid 17–20 percent less than men performing the same jobs.

Retirement

On average, British employees retire at 62, giving them one of the highest average retirement ages in the EU, but this still falls short of the official retirement age of 65. According to a BBC poll, the preferred retirement age is 58, although there are moves in the government to outlaw company retirement ages and prolong working life to 70 by year 2030.