Professional Documents
Culture Documents
for decent
work?
A STUDY WITH LOW PAID
WORKERS IN SCOTLAND
INITIAL FINDINGS
rankings. Quotations from the focus groups and individual interviews are used 23 Fair pay vs senior staff: Being paid fairly compared to senior staff
verbatim to highlight the impact these factors have on peoples lives. 23 Socially worthwhile: Work that I believe is socially worthwhile
25 Varied work: Varied work
26 Control: Control and flexibility over how I deliver my work
1. An hourly rate or salary that is 2. Job security 3. Paid holidays and paid sick leave
enough to cover basic needs Job security was ranked second for the focus groups, These basic entitlements were ranked third for
such as food, housing and things second for the street stalls and joint fourth for the the focus groups, fourth for the street stalls and
most people take for granted, opinion poll. During the focus group discussions, joint fourth for the opinion poll. During the focus
without getting into debt participants spoke about the importance of a
permanent, secure contract. A number of participants
group discussions, participants emphasised the
importance of paid holidays and paid sick leave in
Enough pay to cover basic needs was ranked top were not aware whether they actually had a written relation to work-life balance, but also raised more
across the focus groups, street stalls and the opinion contract. general issues related to terms and conditions.
poll. During the focus group discussions, participants I lost my job today, because... well I didnt lose it, Conditions are important, like, your annual leave...
spoke of the importance of having a wage or salary I just havent got hours if that makes sense and my previous job, they never paid holiday pay. Like,
that covered the basics in life, but was also sufficient Ive had no notice on that because Im agency... and we were on a zero hour contract and they didnt pay
to participate in society, whether that be going for a thats just been told today, Dont come back until holiday pay.
meal with a friend or taking a holiday, and also being the end of January. Lone parent, female
able to save for a rainy day.
Agency worker, hospitality sector
You put your names intae the hat tae see whos
Its just not enough, how can I pay all my bills and
I would work for two weeks at the distillery, eligible for Christmas off. Your name doesnt get
rents and buy a bus pass... its just not evening
because it was through the agency, then I would get pulled, you work it. And its the same peoples name
out... It means you cant participate in basic things.
the phone call on the Friday saying that I was paid that get pulled all the time, the favourites... Ive
Ive got my cousins fortieth birthdays coming up
off so Id have to sign off, sign back on the dole, worked Christmas Day for the last three year... Never
at the end of the month, and thats a real issue for
then after the week they would phone me back up even got Boxing Day off.
me cause Im thinking How am I gonnae manage this
again and I was going through this for about three Call centre worker, female
financially?
and a half months.
Social care worker, female
Former distillery worker, out-of-work, male
Id love tae just say it was no a aboot the money...
like the job satisfaction. I really dae want that. But I
need the money.
Lone parent, female
! and self-employed
book-keeper, from Govan
in Glasgow, who does
Safe Supportive accounts for three
environment manager firms. She was working
for a fourth company
but left because she
4. A safe working environment free 5. A supportive line manager says she was being bullied.
from physical and mental risk or This support was ranked fifth for the focus groups, I was getting shouted at, at least one day a
harm sixth for the street stalls and eighth for the opinion week... the more stressed I was getting, the
poll. Female focus group participants valued it less sleep I was getting, the more mistakes
Physical and mental safety was ranked fourth for particularly highly, ranking it third, as compared I was making. The stress was unbelievable.
the focus groups, third for the street stalls and to ninth for male participants. During the focus She says that leaving this fourth job has
second for the opinion poll. What became clear in group discussions, participants emphasised the left her with financial difficulties and debt
the focus group discussions was that participants importance of a manager who supports staff to issues.
had problematic experiences regarding the physical do their job well, is appreciative when employees
aspects of work such as safe and suitable tools do good work, and who understands both the Im probably down 1000 a month on
and equipment for the job but also regarding personal and work-life needs of employees. Themes income at the moment Im living on credit
psychosocial aspects such as a workplace around respect, acknowledgement, and good cards. Running up more and more debt to
environment featuring bullying. Aspects which communication from management in general also keep my head above water.
straddled both, such as the lack of communal spaces featured heavily.
to interact with colleagues, were also emphasised.
Fiona has a son with Asperger syndrome.
Our bosses, theyve done things like paid peoples She says this is one of the reasons she
A few girls have left in tears... theres something prefers being self-employed as it gives her
flights to see their parents in another country when
far wrong when youre leaving your work crying isnt flexibility in choosing her working hours.
theyve got ill... Which is really sweet, you know.
there? However, being self-employed means Fiona
Kitchen worker, female
Community worker, female doesnt get paid when she takes a day
Id go in, dae my ain shift fae seven oclock tae four, off. She says this makes taking a holiday
Mine [my work] should be shut down for health
go hame for a couple o hours, and then go in and and managing financially over Christmas
and safety its that bad.That heavy rain we had
cover for an extra three hours because they were particularly difficult.
last week, the roof was leaking onto four of the
short-staffed. And I just did not feel appreciated for
computers and they just unplugged them at the Fionas goal is to have paid off her mortgage
daein that. But see if somebody came up to you and
mains and left them there and left to stand, put a and be debt free in five years time.
said at the end o the day like Well done, thanks very
bucket next to it to catching the rain.
much for daein that... Youd be like that, Brilliant.
Call centre worker, female
Lone parent, female
Table 2 shows that female focus group participants valued job security marginally higher than male participants and a decent hourly rate marginally lower than male
participants. Beyond this, women valued a supportive line manager, support after absence, supportive colleagues, additional benefits, flexible hours, and an accessible
location, higher than men. In contrast, men valued paid leave, a safe environment, fair pay to similar jobs, regular hours, workplace representation, no excessive hours and
fair pay versus senior staff, higher than women.
Table 3 shows that female street stall participants valued paid leave, a supportive manager, support after absence, supportive colleagues, flexible hours and additional
benefits higher than male participants. In contrast, men valued purpose and meaning, fair pay to similar jobs, opportunities for progression, fair pay versus senior
staff, work that was socially worthwhile and varied work, higher than women. Looking at differences between the street stalls and focus group shows that, overall, no
discrimination, no unpaid overtime, predictable pay and fair pay versus senior staff were valued higher for the street stalls than the focus groups. Fair pay to similar jobs,
regular hours, additional benefits, and accessible location, were valued lower by participants engaged through the street stalls than through the focus groups.
Table 4 shows less obvious gender differences between the factors than for the focus groups and street stalls. Women were more likely to value all factors as very
important (6) or extremely important (7) and less likely to value factors as not at all important (1). The means for all factors are therefore higher for women than men.
That being said, paid leave, no discrimination, a supportive manager, supportive colleagues, and no unpaid overtime, were valued higher for women than men across ranks,
means and weights. In contrast, enough time for tasks, purpose and meaning, and workplace representation were weighted and ranked higher for men than for women.
While different methodologies make comparison between the opinion poll and other methods somewhat difficult, it seems that fair pay to similar jobs and enough time for
tasks are valued higher by opinion poll respondents than by focus group and street stall participants. In contrast, it seems support after absence and opportunities for
progression were valued lower by opinion poll respondents than by focus group and street stall participants.
Oxfam Scotland March 2016 Although this publication is subject to copyright, the text may be freely used for
political advocacy and campaigns, as well as in the area of education and research,
Oxfam Scotland, 10 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, G2 6LU.
provided that the source is acknowledged in full. The copyright holder requests that any
Oxfam Scotland is a part of Oxfam GB, which is registered as a charity in England and such use is reported in order to assess its impact. Any copying in other circumstances,
or its use in other publications, as well as in translations or adaptations, may be carried
Wales (no. 202918) and in Scotland (SCO 039042) and is a member of Oxfam International.
out after obtaining permission; the payment of a fee may be required.
www.oxfam.org.uk Please contact scotland@oxfam.org.uk