Low earners, young people and those already suffering from workplace inequalities are more likely to lose their jobs as a result of the pandemic, according to a leading researcher from the University of Central Lancashire.

However, creative approaches to look at the makeup of jobs and implementing practices such as job sharing and reduced hours can protect more people from being made redundant and help businesses to grow back quicker.

Dr Adrian Wright, Director of the Institute of Research into Organisations, Work and Employment at the University of Central Lancashire, said that businesses which can find ways to avoid redundancies will be in the best shape to recover and grow back stronger.

He said: “We know from our research that the people who are hit the hardest by the pandemic are the people who are already at a disadvantage. Young people and women are more likely to work in sectors where the risk of redundancy is higher, such as hospitality, leisure, retail and the cultural sectors, in addition women disproportionately take on much of the unpaid caring roles in the household for children or elderly relatives.

“Unfortunately, the unequal impact of Covid on certain sectors makes their workforce more vulnerable to cuts and redundancies, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Employees are an investment and keeping hold of them through tough times will only make them more worthwhile to your company in the long run.

“What we learned from the last economic recession was that the businesses who found a way to hold on to their employees were the ones who were able to bounce back quickest when we returned to growth.

“Companies who find creative solutions to reimagine the makeup of work to keep their staff on – from reducing hours and leveraging the government support schemes, creating job shares so that extra hours can be covered or taking the time to train up staff to prepare for growth in new sectors as well help deal with workplace inequalities.”

The University of Central Lancashire is providing businesses across Lancashire with a range of support to bounce back stronger through its range of Business at UCLan support programmes and packages.

In addition to using University research to expand, the service also offers expert advice on reducing energy bills, bring new products to market, accessing marketing support or networking with other similar companies.

To find out more, visit www.uclan.ac.uk/business

ENDS

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Notes to Editors:

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is a leading modern university with thriving campuses in Preston, Burnley, Westlakes (Cumbria) and Cyprus.

Founded in 1828 as the Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge, UCLan now has a staff and student community approaching 38,000 and an employment-focused course portfolio containing over 350 undergraduate programmes and nearly 250 postgraduate courses.

As well as being a national leader in the number of student and graduate start-up businesses it supports, UCLan is also Lancashire’s largest provider of graduate level qualifications, supplying highly skilled graduates into the workforce. The University also has established links with global businesses, police constabularies, NHS trusts and more than 1,000 regional enterprises across a variety of sectors. 

Internationally the University now enrols students from more than 100 countries and has partnerships with 125 institutions from across the globe.

The University has an established research reputation with world-leading or internationally excellent work taking place within the areas of Business, Health, Humanities and Science. UCLan is also ranked in the top 6.5 percent of universities worldwide in the 2020-21 Centre for World University Rankings, as well as holding the maximum 5 QS stars for the quality of its teaching.

With a strong focus on continually improving the student experience, UCLan is currently undertaking a £200 million project to redevelop its Preston Campus. The vision is to create an attractive and inviting, world-class environment helping to create jobs, kick-start regeneration and attract inward investment into the city and North West region.

University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) website: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/