Month: September 2018

Working in Britain compared to other countries typically means working long days, carrying out demanding tasks and taking breaks that are few and far between. Working life can be tough, often leaving us feeling exhausted, deflated and lacking in motivation.

Are there certain jobs making us more miserable than others? 

Recent research Fish4jobs carried out has highlighted that a third of Brits (32 per cent) spend half of their annual working hours feeling dissatisfied and unhappy at work. This equates on average to 861 hours and 12 minutes each year and six years and six months in the average lifetime – quite staggering.

The survey was rolled out to include people who are in the public eye to see if they experience the same level of job dissatisfaction compared to the average worker in Britain. The results uncovered some interesting findings. For instance, Boris Johnson spent the equivalent of 72 days unhappy in his role as Foreign Secretary whereas with Teresa May, it would seem, when applying the same formula, she has spent at least two and a half months dissatisfied in the role as Prime minister.

People in the public eye have tough working days like the rest of us however it should be noted that their days-off are unlike ours, they cannot escape the public eye. This undoubtably makes it more stressful for them as they have little privacy in their free time.  

Over 2,000 people working in the UK were surveyed. It found there was a correlation between job dissatisfaction, industry and location.

The four unhappiest places geographically to work are as follows:

1. Wolverhampton (60 per cent)
2. Sunderland (50 per cent)
3. Carlisle (50 per cent)
4. Walsall (50 per cent)

However, job dissatisfaction varied dramatically depending on the profession. As the list below shows, Customer service roles came out with the highest proportion of dissatisfied workers.

1. 37% of customer service executives
2. 34% of hospitality employees
3. 34% of administrators
4. 33% of shop workers
5. 28% of nurses and care workers
6. 24% of teachers
7. 24% of van and truck drivers
8. 16% of construction workers

In the list above, all of professions listed have long working hours and deal with the public in some form or another. Is working long hours a key factor contributing to our unhappiness? Should we be working shorter hours like our continental friends? 

Plans for a Four day week?

The work life balance is becoming more and more difficult to define with greater access to technology working from home is easier than ever.  With flexible working on the rise would individuals be able to readjust and work less?

It is reported that some 1.4 million people now work seven days a week, with 3.3 million working more than 45 hours per week.   

This is as a result of advances in technology that allow us to access work remotely wherever and whenever we want. Instead of leaving work at 5pm and not returning until the following day, many individuals will work from home in the evenings in addition their contracted hours. This type of behaviour is undoubtedly part of the cause for those who noted unhappiness at work in the survey discussed above.

Unions have recently suggested that a four-day working week would be feasible owing to the benefits of new modern technology.  At TUC’s annual conference they called on the government to act to help people work less but get paid the same.  There is a belief that artificial intelligence and robotics could provide a £200bn boost to the UK economy in the next decade and rather than seeing it as having a negative impact on employees we should look at it as a means of freeing up more of our time.

Feeling miserable at work?

Feeling dissatisfied and overworked influences our performance, state of job satisfaction and mental health.  We should all feel comfortable speaking to our employers if something isn’t right without any repercussions.

If you find yourself having issues with your employment and working hours we can help. Please remember there are strict time limits in Employment claims and you should take good free legal advice as soon as possible.

In addition to No Win No Fee, Lawson West solicitors act for our clients on a variety of other funding arrangements including Legal Expenses insurance funding. We can assess your case to decide which is the best funding option for you.

With offices in Leicester, Wigston and Market Harborough our employment solicitors and lawyers can discuss your employment law claim at any of our branches. In addition, we are a national provider of expert employment law advice and welcome a free discussion with you regarding your circumstances and potential claim.

If you believe you have a situation where you require free legal advice, please contact us on telephone 0116 212 1000 or 01858 445 480, alternatively fill in our Contact Us form and we will get in touch as soon as possible.

 

Is it time to tackle the problem of equal pay for work of equal worth?

It is considered that individuals doing the same job or work of equal value should receive the same or equal pay; but in many cases they do not, despite the law saying otherwise. Shockingly this is the case with the 1,000 current and former employees of Tesco who back in July 2018 lodged claims to the Employment Tribunal for equal pay.

Tesco’s Equal Pay Claims

In this case the claims are about ensuring that the work done across the various departments within Tesco are recognised as being equal. Having nobody manning the shop floor is as detrimental to the organisation as nobody manning the distribution centre, therefore it is believed that the individual’s roles are of equal importance and thus it should be reflected in their earnings.

The claims largely relate to those working on the shop floor being paid a lower wage of £8 per hour compared to those working in the distribution centres that are paid on average £11.00 an hour.  The argument being that both roles play an essential part towards the overall success and running of the business but this is not being reflected in their pay. To add to the complexity of the case, it could be argued that there is an element of gender discrimination involved too because whilst the shop floor comprises of mostly female workers, the distribution centres are male-dominated.

It is believed that one quarter of a million Tesco employees may be eligible to make a claim. With 1,000 claims having already been made, the number of Claimants is only set to rise. It is estimated that if the claims are successful it will potentially cost Tesco £4bn in compensation because the Claimants will be entitled to back payments in addition to the increased wages moving forward.  This will undoubtedly have major consequential affects on Tesco but as a larger employer they may be better placed than others to absorb such an award.  If these circumstances were replicated in a small to medium size company the impact on such a legal decision could be monumental, potentially forcing many companies to close. 

Making an Equal Pay Claim

The law states that employees can compare any terms in the contract of employment with the equivalent terms in a comparators contract.  A comparator is an employee of the opposite sex working for the same employer, doing like work of equal value. The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to prevent employees from having discussions to establish if there are any differences in pay.

If you discover that you are not being paid equally, your employer is breaking the law. To address this issue about being treated or paid fairly, you can talk, or write to your employer to try to resolve the issue. If this doesn’t work, you should then look to make a claim for lost earnings where an Employment Tribunal will establish if there is sufficient ground for compensation to be paid.

Carrie-Ann Randall from our Employment Department is experienced in presenting such claims to the Employment Tribunal.  Carrie-Ann states “Equal Pay can be a difficult process but not one that should be avoided.  We all deserve the right to be paid correctly for the work we do regardless of gender or the misguided believe on the importance of the role within the organisation”

At Lawson West Solicitors our Employment Department can support you with this type of claim. Please remember there are strict time limits in Employment claims and you should take legal advice as soon as possible.

In addition to No Win No Fee, Lawson West solicitors act for clients on a variety of other funding arrangements including Legal Expenses insurance funding. We can assess your case to decide which is the best funding option for you.

With offices in Leicester, Wigston and Market Harborough our employment solicitors and lawyers can discuss your employment law claim at any of our office locations. In addition, we are a national provider of expert employment law advice and welcome a free discussion with you regarding your circumstances and potential claim. Call 0116 212 1000 for more information. We look forward to speaking to you to discuss your helping with your employment claim.