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Centre for Organisations and Society
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The Forgotten Workers

In-work poverty is a serious and increasing problem in modern Britain with one in eight workers in the UK now living in poverty.

Durham’s Jo McBride, working with Andrew Smith (Bradford), has been working with organisations and the public to look at the experiences of workers in the UK who have several jobs, and yet do not earn enough to provide for themselves and their families. After interviewing 50 such workers in the North East and Yorkshire, a report has been published, launched at Durham University Business School on the 30th November 2018.

Researchers

Jo McBride, Associate Professor at Durham University Business School, has researched, taught, designed and led varying modules relating to industrial relations and the sociology of the world of work. She takes a critical approach to studying the world of work and the reality of working lives. A major focus has been on themes such as collectivism in its different forms, social perceptions of the value of jobs and the causes and consequences of low paid work and multiple employment. This latter topic has led to this current research project, which in addition to academic audience has strong messages relevant to policymakers, trade unions and employers.

Andrew Smith is a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Employment Relations at University of Bradford School of Management. He is interested in the experiences of work, employment change and the complexities and challenges of work-life ‘balance’. His research interests of low-paid employment and underemployment have led to this collaborative project between Durham and Bradford researchers.

The Forgotten Workers