AUF WIEDERSEHEN, PET?
MANPOWER REVEALS 8 IN 10 WORKERS WOULD WORK ABROAD

Some 82% of Brits would consider working abroad, according to research released today by Manpower, the UK’s leading recruitment company.
With summer drawing to a close, Manpower has conducted research to find out
whether people would think about working in a foreign country and which
working practices from other European countries people would most like
Britain to adopt.¹

It seems that for many people their holiday abroad gives them a taste for
more - with almost a third of the 813 people surveyed said they’d like 25
days minimum annual leave, like our Austrian counterparts. A further 27%
would like to adopt the French working style of a 35-hour maximum working
week.

Hazel Detsiny, director at Manpower, says: “Many people travel during the summer, often giving them an insight into the work cultures of our European neighbours. With the recent EU expansion there has been increased awareness of the possibilities of working abroad. However, people should remember that foreign working might not be plain sailing: people have to overcome language and cultural barriers, have to make new friends and get used to new ways of working - it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.”

The research also shows that a sleepy 19% of those surveyed would most like to see Spanish-style afternoon siestas introduced to their working environment and a further 17% would choose to have 14 bank holidays a year, like in Portugal.

Hazel continues: “People are travelling abroad more than ever, exposing them to different work practices and cultures. The results of this survey show that employees are interested in alternative work practices. Employers need to flexible in their approach when putting together benefits packages and looking at motivating employees.”

-Ends-

Notes to editors:
¹ 813 people were surveyed in an online poll. The results are as follows:

Which of the following working practices from these holiday destinations
would you most like for the UK?
Afternoon siestas, like in Spain: 19%
14 bank holidays a year, like in Portugal: 17%
A maximum 35-hour working week, like in France: 27%
25 days minimum annual leave, like in Austria: 30%
Parental leave entitlement of 66 weeks, like in Denmark: 7%

Would you consider working in a foreign country?
Yes: 82%
No: 18%

About Manpower
Manpower is the UK’s leading workforce management company, specialising in permanent and temporary recruitment, HR services, managed services, outsourcing and HR consultancy.

Manpower has been established in the UK since 1956 and today works with organisations in both the public and private sector. Manpower’s UK-wide network of 300 offices allows the company to meet the needs of local and national customers. This includes numerous small and medium sized enterprises, as well as larger organisations such as BMW, BT, Heinz, Hertfordshire County Council, IBM, National Blood Service, New Deal South Wales, Royal Mail and Xerox.
The focus of Manpower’s work is on raising productivity through improved quality, efficiency and cost-reduction, enabling customers to concentrate on their core business.

Manpower has a highly skilled workforce of 100,000 temporary employees who stay loyal to the company (and its customers) thanks to best in class employment benefits. These include a contract of employment and a free e-learning tool offering staff over 1,000 courses in a diverse range of subjects, keeping Manpower’s workforce up to date with today’s ever-changing working environment.

See www.manpower.co.uk
For further information, please contact the Manpower Press Office on 020 8870 2214. Or you can e-mail us by selecting Press Office from the Contact Us page.