Written evidence from Oxfam Scotland

This briefing is based on research undertaken by Oxfam Scotland in partnership with the University of West of Scotland and Warwick Institute for Employment Research. ‘Decent work for Scotland’s low paid workers: a job to be done’[i] was the culmination of a 12 monht long study examining what low paid workers prioritise in order to have decent work and the extent to which Scotland is delivering these. The research was unique as it employed a mixed method approach specifically targeted at the low-paid and with an emphasis on participation – it was not research on low-paid workers but research with low-paid workers.

The project involved more than 1500 people who gave their views about what ‘decent work’ means to them. Views were elicited through focus groups, individual interviews, street stalls and an opinion poll.

The research focused in particular on people with experience in low-wage sectors or with low earnings and intentionally included demographic groups facing additional disadvantages in the workplace, such as disabled people and members of ethnic minority groups. The focus on low-paid sectors was chosen deliberately because for too many people work fails to provide a route out of poverty

The research produced a ranked list of 26 factors which research participants deemed to be most or least important to make work ‘decent’. Using this list, a labour market assessment was undertaken in order to show how Scotland performs against the factors prioritised by participants. This assessment is based on an analysis of existing data on the labour markets of Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. The report combines this quantitative labour market data with the qualitative research and participants’ quotes to highlight the impact of employment practices on people’s lives.

What do low-paid workers prioritise?

The findings suggest a significant degree of consistency as to what matters most to Scotland’s low-paid workers.

There was strong agreement amongst focus group participants that a ‘decent hourly rate’ involves a wage or salary which not only covers ‘basic needs’, but which is also sufficient to participate in society and to ‘save for a rainy day’. For research participants ‘job security’ often meant having a permanent, open-ended contract. A ‘supportive manager’ was characterised by respect for the employee and appreciation for a job done well, the ability to listen, and an understanding of individuals’ needs outside the workplace.

The results from the street stalls and opinion poll were largely consistent with those from the focus groups, in terms of what research participants said were the important factors for ‘decent work’.

Differences by gender

While results show a strong level of consistency, there are some important differences between demographic groups, including between men and women. This is unsurprising, given that women’s experience of the labour market differs to men’s. Women face greater barriers in gaining a foothold in the labour market;[ii] are more concentrated in low-paid sectors and occupations; and continue to be paid less than men for the same work.[iii] Women are also more likely to have additional responsibilities beyond the workplace, particularly caring responsibilities.[iv]

Are workers priorities being met?

Participants’ experiences highlighted that in many cases expectations in relation to ‘decent work’ are not being met in Scotland today. This is reinforced by an assessment of the labour market in Scotland as a whole. This assessment was complicated by the availability of data, with issues around the coverage and timeliness of labour market data for Scotland and the UK. Nonetheless, using the most recent data available, and looking specifically at the top five priorities for ‘decent work’ identified in the focus groups – our assessment suggests:

1. A decent hourly rate

444,000 workers in Scotland, a fifth of all employees (of which two thirds are women), were paid less than the voluntary living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in 2015.[v]

“It’s just not enough, how can I pay all my bills and rents and… buy a bus pass... it’s just not evening out... It means you can’t participate in basic things. My cousin’s fortieth birthday’s coming up... and that’s a real issue for me ‘cause I’m thinking ‘How am I gonnae manage this financially?’” (Social care worker, female)

2. Job Security

138,000 workers in Scotland, 6% of all employees, are on temporary contracts – 45,000 (2%) of whom are seeking permanent employment.[vi] In 2016, 78,000 people in Scotland were on a zero-hours contract,[vii] while 12.6% of workers across the UK reported they might lose their job in the next six months in 2015.[viii]

“I lost my job today, because... well I didn’t lose it, I just haven’t got hours if that makes sense… and I’ve had no notice on that because I’m agency... and that’s just been told today, ‘Don’t come back until the end of January’.” (Agency worker, hospitality sector, male)

3. Paid leave

118,000 workers in Scotland, 5% of all employees, did not receive the statutory minimum paid holidays they were entitled to in 2014.[ix]

“They refused to pay me when my gran died. They refused to gie me one day for the funeral off.” (Fast food worker, female)

4. A safe working environment

88,000 workers in Scotland, 3% of the workforce, reported illness caused or made worse by work in the previous 12 months, while 33,000 reported stress, depression or anxiety caused or made worse by work.[x]

“I have been assaulted at work. And I had told my company they’d let me down, and they said ‘No, we haven’t let you down’… I just feel like I wasn’t respected at all. I was just an inconvenience.” (Social care worker, female)

5. A supportive manager

13% of Scottish adults in employment reported feeling their line manager did not support them in 2013.[xi]

“They humiliate you in front o’ people, questioning why you were in the bathroom for too long. Some people, they’re older women in my work, and they’re about seventy, eighty and they get questioned because they take three minutes going tae the toilet.” (Call centre worker, female)

While all of the decent work factors identified are important to varying degrees, the top five are fairly basic conditions which workers should be able to expect. None are unreasonable or extravagant. They are also areas which businesses and policymakers can make a real difference. They should therefore be priority areas for policy and practice.