Employers and government ‘must do more to help low-paid workers’

Nick Elvin

The Government and employers should do more to improve working conditions for low-paid workers, such as providing more training opportunities and a better work environment.

That’s the view of the the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which has carried out new research looking at the motivations of low-paid workers in the UK.

The report, called “Getting On: What pay and progression looks like for low-paid workers today”, gives an insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by people in low-paid jobs within the hospitality, care, industrial and retail sectors.

It highlights long hours, limited access to training, unclear routes for progression, monotonous work, and a lack of feedback from employers as the main challenges they face.

While the reasons people undertake low-paid work are specific to their personal circumstances and personal career ambitions, the report reveals how low-paid jobs can offer opportunities for people at various transition points in their lives.

Examples include young people entering the jobs market who need to support themselves through study, or who are seeking work experience in preparation for future higher-level positions.

The study also notes that people looking to progress in their careers use low-paid positions to help them get industry specific experience or skills to improve their prospects of promotion into a supervisory or management role. In addition, unemployed people seeking to get back into work often find these roles easier to acquire because employers are looking for a positive attitude and personality rather than recent qualifications or previous experience.

REC chief executive Kevin Green said: “We often hear low-paid work described as ‘bad jobs’, but this is not justified. Low-paid work is necessary in many sectors and for a lot of people it offers the opportunity to build up skills and experience.

“The Government has been keen to improve conditions for low-paid workers via the introduction of the National Living Wage. For many employers there is a need to improve engagement, performance and productivity. More broadly, this is about motivating your staff effectively. Businesses need to provide a good working environment, excellent management and chances to develop new skills.

“Investment in training is a win-win for employers and low-paid workers, particularly in sectors that have skill shortages. Our message to government is that providing development opportunities to people already in work is critical. And alongside this, we need major improvements to the careers advice that young people receive in schools and at Jobcentres.

“If the public sector can’t fund this, then government should look to partner with private sector organisations including in the recruitment sector. This is especially important in vital areas such as care, so that the career pathway is visible and attractive to people who are considering where they want to work.”