This article explores the wide variety of human resources flexibilities being used in the United Kingdom's public services and how they have arisen since the election of four successive Conservative administrations after 1979 Three issues are addressed: (1) how these flexibilities can be classified, (2) examples of numerical, contractual, functional, and pay flexibilities in the civil service, National Health Service and local government, and (3) the effects of these flexibilities and an evaluation of their impact on employers and staff.
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