On low paid work we need renewal, not a return to the norm

Many of the people we are clapping for each week work in poorly paid jobs, with many also struggling with insecure contracts and poor terms and conditions. Delivery drivers, health and social care workers and supermarket staff are all rightly being recognised for their vital contribution to our health and wellbeing. But claps alone will not create long-term improvements for these workers, nor those who have temporarily or permanently lost jobs in other low paid sectors such as hospitality and high street retail.

Our gratitude needs to be matched with a proper understanding of the nature of many of these roles and the insecurity they create. Low wages, unpredictable hours and low levels of control or autonomy over one’s work can all lead to poor economic, social and psychological outcomes.

For some, like warehouse workers or delivery drivers, the Covid 19 crisis might be bringing a temporary increase in earnings through increased hours, but it will do nothing to address low hourly rates of pay, or poor conditions such as insecure, unpredictable contracts.

For others, for example those working in high street stores, the crisis may be the final straw that forces them to look for new careers. The temptation and pressure to rush straight into any available job risks tens of thousands more workers ending up in poor quality jobs, with an abundant supply of labour putting little emphasis on employers to improve pay and conditions.

I see a real risk of huge numbers of people experiencing not just short-term hardship through losing their jobs now, but long-term economic insecurity and poverty because they are shunted into jobs that don’t support a decent standard of living, or enable them to balance work and family life.

We need to use the upsurge in goodwill towards lower paid workers to raise our expectations of employers, and our own expectations as consumers. Campaigning for the real Living Wage and more secure contracts, and demonstrating the benefits of these approaches to employers; building clear pathways for progression to higher paid roles; extending flexible working where possible into every sector: these are all going to be critical. Reaching out to those in sectors that have shrunk or disappeared and providing them with clear careers advice and affordable (free) re-training will be a priority.

But so should readjusting our views on how much we pay for food, dinners out, clothing and luxuries. If we value supermarket and delivery staff enough to stand on our doorsteps and cheer for them, will we put our money where our mouths are, and pay more for their work? We collectively need to acknowledge the importance of properly funding sectors like social care so that staff can work effectively and safely, and put pressure on our politicians to do something about it. We need to redefine jobs that we currently class as ‘low skilled’: the emotional skill, resilience and stamina needed to be a care worker are beyond the reach of many in ‘highly skilled’ jobs.  

It is increasingly clear that a return to ‘normal’ is not going to be possible, or in many cases desirable. We have an unprecedented and unexpected chance to rethink work and how we treat and portray those on the lowest wages, and a responsibility to minimise the long-term economic harm they experience.

(c) Anna Dent 2020. I provide social research, policy analysis and development, writing and expert opinion, and project development in Good Work and the Future of Work / In-Work Poverty and Progression / Welfare benefits / Ethical technology / Skills / Inclusive growth