Pets at Home has brought back its “Saturday job” by introducing new fixed day/hour contracts for both new and existing staff.

The initiative comes as the pet specialist receives an increase in demand for regular part-time roles to fit in around commitments outside work.

The new roles will be called pet care assistants and will come with the same benefits as full-time pet care advisor staff.

They will be available for a minimum of four hours a week and will likely offer up to a maximum of eight hours each week, similar to the types of contracts associated with traditional Saturday jobs.

One of the key advantages of these new contracts is that they offer the flexibility for improved work-life balance with employees able to dictate their preferred working days and hours, supporting those who may have previously struggled with the unpredictability of traditional shift-based work such as students, carers, parents, and retirees.

Pets at Home Group’s director of people partnering, Jane Beresford said: “We are delighted to be able to support both new and existing colleagues with the creation of the pet care assistant role.

“We’ve listened to feedback and understand that the inability to determine your own working patterns and hours can be a barrier to entry to many.”