More than one-third of young workers are exploited by their employers, according to a new study, with many paid less than the minimum wage, forbidden to take entitled breaks, compelled to pay for work-related items or given food and products instead of money, The Guardian reports.
Young people are seen as especially vulnerable to wage theft due to inexperience in the workplace and a lack of awareness of their rights. They are also more likely to be employed in insecure roles than experienced workers, raising fears of retaliation.
The Melbourne Law School’s survey of 2,814 workers aged under 30 found that one-third were paid $15 an hour or less, far less than the minimum wage of $24.95, while one-in-four workers reported not being paid superannuation.
The exploitation extended beyond underpayments, with more than one-third not paid for work conducted during a trial period, and almost 10% given food or products in lieu of pay.
The study’s lead, Prof John Howe from the University of Melbourne, said wage exploitation was “rife” among employers.
“Young people don’t have much industrial knowledge or experience, so are easy to take advantage of,” said Howe.
“They are also unlikely to challenge an employer, as many of them are in insecure work and they worry about losing their jobs.”
While the official unemployment rate is 4.1%, the youth unemployment rate is 9.2%, increasing the pressure on younger people to keep their jobs.
The report notes that the burden falls on young people to report exploitation, when there should be more resourcing for proactive detection by regulators. Underpayment disproportionately affects those on lower wages, overseas students, migrant workers and women.
The report notes that young workers are the “most likely to acquiesce to employer demands and the least able to accommodate additional expenses relating to their work”.
SOURCE
Breaks forbidden, food instead of pay: one-third of young Australian workers exploited by employers, study shows (The Guardian)
John Howe and Tom Dillon, Underpaid and overlooked: The wage crisis facing young workers in Australia (Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law)