Systemic Support for Britain's Nonstandard Workers
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The UK faces key labour market challenges; economic inactivity, helping people on benefits into work, shortage of NHS and care workers, low productivity. All could be helped by relaunching systemic support for the nonstandard workforce; people who seek employment but not a job.
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About a third of adults now need work to fit around day-to-day uncertainties. Those can involve ever-changing childcare arrangements, unpredictable commitments as a carer, personal medical issues, fluctuating partial-employment or fluid studying.
Some people aren't emotionally ready for full-time, but could handle incremental steps into work. Research for government shows millions dislike realities of today's jobs, they want portfolio employment.
Official UK data on these diverse work-seekers is inadequate. The most inclusive research has been in comparable US regions where Gallup polling found 36% of adults reliant on at least some ad-hoc earnings. McKinsey independently also assessed the figure at 36%. In Britain, the TUC describes irregular platform work as "spiralling".
An Overlooked Workforce
Some coverage of our work
A Sleeping Giant
Current labour market infrastructure for lower-income seekers of nonstandard work is horrible. "Gig work" apps, led by Uber, need to repay venture capitalists for the huge price subsidies used to reach dominance of their sector. So, they cut pay, mislead work-seekers, secrete data, and can retain 30% or more of workers' earnings. These companies invest heavily to overturn worker rights. Attempts to curb abuses by these platforms are barely impacting.
But there is a sleeping giant for people needing fluid work. Government routinely provides supportive labour market infrastructure. Britain's 600+ Jobcentres are alternatives to commercial staffing agencies. DWP offers an all-sectors job-matching platform to compete with for-profits like Indeed or Monster. These public services ensure fairness, inclusion, opportunity, open data and local alignment.
But it all remains predicated on getting individuals into a job. People with complex lives, including those pushed into unstable work hours by new scheduling systems, must turn to gig work apps or word-of-mouth contacts (often in the shadow economy). It is a tragic waste of each person's multifaceted potential to contribute to the UK economy.
UK to the US
Britain's government once took a worldwide lead in extending public employment services to citizens outside traditional employment. Office of Deputy Prime Minister, the NHS, and Cabinet Office enabled creation of a sophisticated hourly labour market platform built around protections, control, and progression for people needing personalized work. It was also funded by 20 councils, and Tesco, but opposed for years by DWP.
Eventually, DWP changed tack and "Slivers-of-Time Working" was made a cornerstone of their Universal Credit reforms. Regional launches were wound down as the system was integrated into a benefits regime committed to realism about today's labour market. But the Universal Credit became problematic and radical components like ours were shelved.
At this point it was realized no other country had developed such a supportive platform. The technology was put in our nonprofit for open-sourcing and has now been further developed with funding from national philanthropies in the US. We won US Conference of Mayors' prestigious prize for the best job or economic development initiative in America.
Public agencies in Los Angeles County have launched the platform (branded GoodFlexi) with an initial focus on responsive care for families with a disabled child. Bigger launch in Oregon scheduled for 2026 aims to grow workforces in behavorial health and homeless services by attracting people with lived experience. Unions, employers, educators and public agencies are working on further US launches. www.BeyondJobs.com
New Alignment
​GoodFlexi has generated millions in wages for people on the labour market fringes on each side of the Atlantic. Under local control and branding in each region, it captures uniquely granular data, shaping upskilling opportunities and cost-effective interventions. Its comprehensive digital badging captures the unique skills/ attributes/ preferences/ aspirations of each person while tools to incentivize regional eco-systems of partner bodies foster diversity and competition in support for nonstandard workers.
Alignment with current UK regional and national priorities include:
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Inactivity: 9m Brits show in official data as economically inactive. A quarter of them are students, who increasingly need work around studies. We know 9% of all UK adults earn illegally in the hidden economy. Many disabled people and carers need more than a flexible boss, they can ONLY work around constant day-to-day unpredictability. All these breadwinners seek nonjob employment.
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NHS/Care: A recruitment/retention crisis combines with plans to phase out bank agencies. Again, a little flexing around a job's shift times may be enough for some workers. Others need, or just want, fully personalized hours. "Two-way Scheduling" and our other innovations in nonjob employment can only help.
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Builders: The UK is short of people to solve its housing problems. Roofers, framers, bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, painters, and others typically work project-to-project. Nine-to-Five employment models may not be enough.
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Productivity: Growth is stymied by low productivity, particularly in the workforce. Outdated data gathering, fear of job switching without a safety net, exclusion of People with Complex Lives; all could be tackled systemically.
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Devolution: Legislation is giving regional bodies more control over employment support. Political leaders seeing AI eroding entry-level jobs, women exiting the workforce in search of flexibility, rising NEETs, and other turbulence may decide to move beyond jobs to support all their residents in a changing labour market.
Trying to deliver these aims - plus growth - while supporting only work seekers lucky enough to have predictable availability for employment is odd. We, the nonprofit that emerged from the UK's lead in non-job services, are creating a path back to serving Britain. We call the project UKFlexi.
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For more detailed history, learning, and results of Britain's past support for nonstandard workers, click here. Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
