A survey conducted by Leeds-based WAC App, the app solution for workers on shifts to monitor their hours and pay, indicates that, irrespective of the current call for fair pay in the public sector, 47% of the shift workers that responded reported that they have at some stage been underpaid for the hours they have worked. The same number (43%) report that they are being taken advantage of at work.
The concept of shift working is particularly prevalent in the retail hospitality and health sectors, particularly impacting employees in the NHS and in leisure.
Underpayment arises when shift patterns and rate change are not properly recorded, and when the dedication of nurses and carers sees them working longer hours with patients than their rotas have allowed for.
Founder and CEO of WAC App Georgina Fairhall said, “Many shift workers, and nurses and carers in particular, are being short changed in their pay packets even without taking into account the current pay negotiations. As rotas and shift patterns change to meet the needs of patients, the hours they work are frequently not being recorded properly, and as a result they are underpaid. With nearly 50% of respondents to the survey reporting that they have faced the issue of underpayment, and with over half saying that they have either used the WAC App, or would do, to manage and claim back wages it is unsurprising that 43% also record that they believe that they are being taken advantage of at work.”
The WAC App enables workers from all sectors, such as those in the NHS and in retail and hospitality, to record and monitor their hours accurately so that they can export a profession report to share with their employers in helping to calculate what is really owed. All they had before was memory or paper notes, which frequently result in unsuccessful conversations.
The survey was conducted in the week of 16th January, capturing the views of over 5,000 respondents over the period, and highlights the level of dissatisfaction voiced by shift workers, with over 6 out of 10 saying that they have claimed unpaid back pay through the WAC App or would consider doing so.
Pointing out the added benefit of the WAC App during the current cost of living challenges, Georgina Fairhall added, “In addition to tracking the hours worked, the app reports real time pay estimates and even helps users track their bills between irregular paydays, all of which are especially helpful during the cost of living crisis where retail, hospitality and health workers are the hardest hit. The app is free to use and in today’s world, where every penny counts our objective is that the overworked are no longer the underpaid.”
