Worker case studies

Workers commuting to work in London.

Stories from the millions facing insecure work in the UK.

One in five workers in the UK are in severely insecure work, facing unpredictable hours, low pay, and limited rights. The Work Foundation aims to highlight the real stories behind the figures through true accounts and stories from people in the UK facing insecurity at work and at home.

These accounts have featured in a variety of national and international media outlets such as The Guardian, the Financial Times, and the BBC.

If you would like to share your story or are a journalist looking to feature a case study in a story about insecure work, we have an ongoing network of people who are willing to share their experiences. Please contact Reiss Tigwell.

Here are a selection of real-life stories, accounts, and experiences about being in insecure work – and the impact it has had on their family, health, financial security, and future employment prospects.

Worker case studies

A supermarket worker.

Jessica, 30, Greater Manchester

Jessica featured in an article in The Guardian on long-term insecure work and unpredictable working hours.

“I never know what I’m going to be paid each week.”

Working mum Jessica has worked at her local supermarket Iceland – where she is guaranteed just seven and a half hours each week – for the last four years. Whilst she enjoys her job, Jessica finds the variability in hours, pay, and the benefits she is entitled to difficult. Jessica was previously a mental health support worker but was forced to look for something more flexible due to childcare. She says being in insecure work means childcare is difficult to manage, especially when hours change at short notice.

September 2024

A woman washing dishes using a sponge in a restaurant kitchen.

Charlotte, 38, Staffordshire

Charlotte featured in an article in the Financial Times on the impact of being on a zero-hours contract.

“A lot of mums get backed into a corner because it’s the only way to get the flexibility.”

Working mum Charlotte has one child and works two zero-hour contracts in the kitchen and bar at the same golf club. She works longer hours than she would like in the summer to help ease pressure in the winter when shifts get cancelled due to bad weather.

High childcare costs mean Charlotte is unable to justify commuting to a better job in Birmingham. She says being in insecure work means it would be difficult to have a second child. If Charlotte had a contract with guaranteed hours, then she would be able to budget and plan ahead, as well as provide clarity on maternity pay.

July 2024

A healthcare worker sitting at her desk on the telephone.

Alina, 40, Warwickshire

Alina featured on Channel 5 News discussing sick pay.

Alina suffers from a chronic medical condition which at times prevents her from working. However, as the amount of money Alina receives as sick pay is substantially lower than her salary, she continues to work to be able to pay her bills. This means Alina is left sacrificing her health in order to keep a roof over her head.

Statutory Sick Pay currently replaces just 17% of average weekly earnings and its value has halved relative to earnings since its introduction in the 1980s. Our research found that nearly half of employers (47%) do not go beyond the statutory minimum level of sick pay provision.

June 2024

Worker helping elderly person.

Maria

Maria featured in an article in the Big Issue on being in insecure work and living in private rental.

Mum-to-be Maria (not her real name) is due to give birth in May but faces insecurity at work and at home. She starts maternity pay leave with no idea how much she’ll be living off when the baby arrives.

Originally from Portugal, Maria arrived in the UK in 2019 and has been working as a support worker for a homecare provider earning £11,985 a year for the 21 hours a week role. Maria left her previous role working in a restaurant as it was simply not suitable for her during pregnancy as there was too much heavy lifting.

She currently lives in a house with six others but fears no longer being able to afford her rent. Whilst Maria receives Universal Credit and will receive Statutory Maternity Pay and Child Benefit when the baby is born, she is left constantly worrying about the future.

April 2024

Restaurant worker cleaning a table.

Matthew, 29, Belfast

Matthew featured in an article in the Financial Times.

“Over the whole of the summer and up to Christmas we were short staffed…sometimes we had to leave customers waiting an hour at the door, turn off Deliveroo – you have to be a strong person.”

Matthew works in the hospitality sector for fast-food chain Nando’s and says his job has become worse since several team members left without being replaced. Those who have departed included supervisors,–who are required to train new staff members. He says this led to staff working long shifts to try and make up for the shortfall, but such a move did not work.

April 2024

Care worker helping an elderly person.

Tracey, 53, Berkshire

Tracey featured in an article in the Financial Times.

“Office work does come with its own pressure but the disparity between the pay…you’re earning minimum wage and physically beating your body up. It’s really hard work.”

Tracey is currently unemployed after recently leaving her job as a care worker due to her arthritis. She had previously worked in the corporate world but became burnt out. However, the impact of being in insecure work has been so stressful and detrimental to her health and wellbeing, that she has begun searching for employment in the financial sector once more. Tracey’s hours and shifts changed on a weekly basis, and she was regularly being put on shifts longer than she was supposed to be doing. Despite discussing this with her manager, she often felt compelled to say yes because she felt guilty that they were so short staffed. Tracey didn’t feel her employer was supportive of her and said they could have done more to help her situation – particularly in relation to her health condition.

April 2024

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Louise, 35, West Midlands

Louise featured in an article in The Independent on the impact of being on a zero-hours contract.

“I got denied a house, so I’m now having to rent which is £350-400 more expensive than what the mortgage would have been.”

Working mum Louise lives with her two children and has worked as an NHS healthcare assistant on a zero-hour contract for a year and is in receipt of Universal Credit. Louise is not a permanent staff member, and her hours fluctuate drastically from week-to-week. On some weeks, Louise will work over 40 hours, while others she is only able to work one shift. Louise says the impact of insecure work on her life is “massive”, so much so that it has recently led to her being denied a mortgage application.

April 2024

A call centre worker.

Urwah, 22, Essex

Urwah featured on BBC Radio 1 and in an article for The Independent discussing insecure work and zero-hour contracts.

“There’s always that fear of not having hours.”

Urwah works as a call agent on a minimum wage zero-hour contract, lives alone, and is in receipt of Universal Credit. She faces constant changing shift patterns and hours, where some weeks she’ll be offered as many as 30 hours, others five, and in extreme cases none at all. Such instability leaves her with financial worries, stress, and anxiety. Urwah is after consistency and an end to the surprise of being put on last-minute shifts. When she does get offered extra shifts when people phone in sick, she feels she can never say no due to the fear of not being offered them in the future, or worse, let go. This, she says, leaves her constantly “feeling like she’s on call 24/7.”

April 2024