Deelan Maru
Senior Policy Advisor to the Chief of Innovation and Partnerships
This report presents the findings of a research programme on the barriers faced by women in low-paid and low-skill work in the UK, alongside potential solutions. The research, conducted by the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), was part of a global research programme focused on the UK, France, Spain, and South Africa. Our work included a review of existing literature, a survey of 2,002 low-paid workers, 6 in-depth interviews with low-paid women, and a co-design workshop that brought together employers and research organisations.
Below is a summary of the barriers we uncovered alongside interventions with the greatest potential.
Flexibility and predictability: Flexible working arrangements are particularly important for women, as they are disproportionately responsible for unpaid work such as childcare and household work. This burden can be especially challenging for low-paid women, who may be less able to afford formal childcare. Predictability is often overlooked; for the low-paid women we surveyed, unpredictable hours were the second most important barrier after a long/expensive commute.
Safety: Harassment and stereotyping in some male-dominated environments can isolate women and act as a barrier to progression. The cleanliness of the working environment is also important. One low-paid woman we interviewed stated: “Sometimes [when cleaning] I can find drugs and I don’t want to be touching that”
Job security: Low-paid roles are more likely to be precarious. Agency work can mean workers are disconnected from the company they work for and therefore have fewer progression routes available.
Organisational processes: Recruitment and progression practices can unintentionally provide greater opportunities for men than for women.
Commutes: Long and/or expensive commutes were the top-selected barrier by low-paid women we surveyed. Women may favour roles with a smaller commute over higher-paying roles in order to be closer to home to carry out domestic responsibilities. They are also more likely to encounter safety issues when commuting.
Financial stress: Women in low-paid roles often have to manage financial stress, which gets in the way of progression opportunities. Low-paid work is often associated with irregular hours which equates to irregular pay. For the low-paid women we surveyed, reduced stress about current finances was the top selected factor that both women and men thought would help them prepare for progression at work.
Skills: The evidence on the effectiveness of training is mixed, however, the low-paid women we surveyed expressed a desire for more technical training. Access to training is also an issue, with some evidence of gender imbalance.
Domestic responsibilities: Women carry out, on average, 60% more unpaid work than men. Childbirth extends the pay gap between women and men. There is currently very low uptake of parental leave by eligible fathers, likely due to perceived gender and social norms. Child-related financial support can be difficult to access.
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