Workers across the UK are being subjected to illegal labour practices, including being underpaid, not receiving payslips and having holiday pay withheld.
Workers across the UK are being subjected to illegal labour practices, including being underpaid, not receiving payslips and having holiday pay withheld, according to a new report.
The Resolution Foundation launched the analysis as they start a three-year investigation into labour market violations.
They found that over 200,000 workers did not receive the minimum wage last year.
Many of those workers probably did not realise they were being underpaid, as the think tank reported that one in ten workers did not receive a payslip – making it difficult for them to determine whether they are receiving the correct amount of pay, pension and holiday according to hours worked.
The foundation also reported that one in 20 workers were not receiving holiday pay, despite being entitled to 28 days a year under UK law.
Certain people were more likely to have their worker’s rights violated, especially workers aged under the age of 25 and over 65 years old, who were less likely to receive a payslip.
Those working in the hotel and restaurant sector were more likely to miss out on paid holiday, with one in seven workers saying that they went without – a rate three times that of other sectors.
Lindsay Judge, Senior Economic Analyst at the Resolution Foundation, explained that the UK has plenty of rules to govern its labour market, but the laws were no use unless they are “properly enforced”.
“Labour market violations remain far too common, with millions of workers missing out on basic entitlements to a payslip, holiday entitlement, and the minimum wage.
“The government’s welcome proposal to create a new single enforcement agency should leave it better placed to tackle these labour market violations than the multiple bodies currently operating, as long as it’s properly empowered and resourced.
“Our analysis suggests that while violations take place across the labour market, the government should also prioritise investigations into sectors like hotels and restaurants, along with firms who make large use of atypical employment contracts, as that’s where abuse is most prevalent,” she said.
Meka Beresford is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Twitter.
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.
6 Responses to “Illegal labour practices rife as workers are underpaid and go without holiday pay”
Dave Roberts
Well said WG. Take no notice of Newman, he’s a thick Trot.