The archetypal 9am to 5pm working day might be so ingrained into the psyche of workers across the Western world that Dolly Parton wrote a song about it, but new research has revealed that it is now an unusual way to make a living for UK workers.

The YouGov survey found that just six per cent of UK workers now work the typical 9 to 5.

Instead, researchers discovered that nearly half of those questioned enjoyed flexible working arrangements, such as freelancing, contracting and working zero-hours contracts.

Respondents said that they preferred this much more flexible approach to work as it enabled them to mix their work with other commitments.

There was little appetite from respondents to the survey, commissioned by fast-food chain McDonalds, to return to the 9 to 5, either.

The workers questioned revealed themselves to be larks, rather than owls, with 37 per cent wishing to work from 8am to 4pm and 21 per cent wishing to work from 7am to 3pm.