One in six UK workers suffer insecure, low paid work

Around 5.1m UK workers earn less than the real Living Wage and are in some form of insecure work revealed the latest research from The Living Wage Foundation.

Around 2.0m of those 5.1m suffering cancelled shifts, insecure, low paid work and unstable positions were also parents.

The Living Wage Foundation launched a new project on Wednesday called Living Hours to tackle widespread insecurity over hours and provide workers with real control over their lives.

The scheme will require organisations to pay the real Living Wage and commit to providing workers with at least four weeks’ notice of shifts, a contract that accurately reflects hours worked, and a contract with a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours a week.

Regionally speaking, Wales, the North East and the West Midlands have the highest rates of low paid, insecure work, with Scotland, the South East and London the lowest.

Over a fifth (21%) of the working population in Wales experiences low paid, insecure work, and 18% in the North East, versus 15% in London and 13% in Scotland.

This kind of works affects young people greatly with over a fifth (22%) of workers aged 16-24 suffering such conditions.

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “The Living Wage has put almost £1bn extra into the pockets of more than 200,000 workers, but it’s increasingly clear that pay is not the only driver of in-work poverty. A lack of secure, stable hours is leaving millions of families struggling to keep their heads above water. This isn’t good for workers or businesses.

“Constant uncertainty over the number of hours, timings of your shifts or the amount of pay you’ll get each week places people under enormous pressure. A shift cancelled at the last minute might sound small, but it can be the difference between being able to pay for your family’s dinner that night or going hungry. And being expected to work at short notice means you can’t plan around other costs and commitments."