GMB/NUS Survey

Students at Work
Introduction
The information in this report is based on a survey of students commissioned jointly
by the GMB and the NUS. It looks in detail at why students undertake paid
employment, how many are doing paid work during term time and whether they feel
this is affecting their studies and grades. The report analyses the employment
conditions of students looking at the kind of occupations they are in, the rates of pay
they get, the hours they work and the attitude of employers and other employees
towards them.

The study finds substantial numbers of students undertaking paid employment in

term times as well as in vacations, when you might traditionally expect them to work.
They are overwhelmingly working to pay for basic living costs such as rent and food
and to pay off debts, such as overdrafts, incurred during their time as students.
Very few are working only to pay towards their social lives or to fund travel abroad
during vacations.

Students are commonly employed in low paid occupations and two thirds are
earning h.ourly rates below 4. The GMB is campaigning for minimum hourly rates
above this level. In addition, a substantial minority of students - nearly 13%

are

earning 3 an hour or less.

Overall, the survey reveals a picture of increasing numbers of students having no

choice but to do paid work during their courses to be able to continue their studies
and meet basic living costs. The need to work and study is putting them under
increasing pressure and the quality of their results is being affected. The numbers
1

Students
at
Work
A report on the economic
conditions of students in
employment

warlctAte .ogelher
An investigation by the Labour Research
Department for the GMB and the NUS
March 1996

r
. NATIONAL UNION OF STUDENTS
Nehon Mnde.l Hou1e . 61 Holloway Road.
London NT 6l). Tel: 0 171 272 8900 Fu:: 0171 263 .571 J

News Release

"

,'

,'

'

j .

...' ,

.... . . ,

"

25 March 1996: Immediate

For the Urgent Atlention of the Education Correspondent/News desk

"

NUS/GMB publish new survey on students at work

One in three students miss

lectures to work part-time
A new report into student employment published today has revealed that one in five
students have failed to submit study assignments because of work and one in three
students are missing lectures to work part-time. Over 78% of students working during
term time say their study has been affected. The survey, which was commissioned
jOintly by NUS and the GMB and published today (Monday 25 March) at the start of
the NUS annual Nationat Conference in Blackpool, found that students were
working for very low wages. Over 12% were working for less than 3 an hour.

Jim Murphy, NUS President, said "This report is the first of its kind to look at student
emptoyment and the results make distressing reading. Record levels of hardship are now
forcing the nation's students to sacrifice study to take on paid employment just to make
ends meet. Students are forced to skip lectures and miss essay deadlines to spend more
and more time working in pubs, burger bars, shops and factories. If they don't take on
paid jobs in term time and the vacations, many students simply cannot afford to stay at
college. Each statistic is a real life story of student hardship. This report is an expose of
the lengths to which some students have to go to survive. Students are being used as a
cheap poel of tabour forced to work in bad conditions by unscrupulous employers.
Over half of the students surveyed were working during term time and vacations just to
pay rent and living and study costs. Three out of four students say their study has been
affected because of having to take paid employment during term time, and one in three
miss lectures to work. The new Dearing Inquiry into higher education will look at student
support and this new report into students at work will put forward compelling evidence of
student hardship and all its affects on students' education opportunities today. The
evidence in this report explodes the myth that students live a comfortable and cosy
existence."
The issue of student employment will be debated during the NUS National Conference. Over 1,500 student
delegates from colleges and universities across the United Kingdom will attend the four-day conference 10
discuss issues of concern to students and to elect the new National President and National Executive
Committee. The debate on student employment is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 27 March 1996.

For further details ptease contact Louise Ctarke, NUS Press Office at Conference in
Blackpoal on 01253 25252 or 0860 967668 or by pager on 0181-345 6789 (NUS 19),

GMB/NUS Survey
Students at Work
Introduction
The information in this report is based on a survey of students commissioned jointly
by the GMB and the NUS. It looks in detail at why students undertake paid
emplayment, haw many are daing paid wark during term time and whether they feel
this is affecting their studies and grades. The repart analyses the emplayment
canditians .of students loaking at the kind .of accupatians they are in, the rates .of pay
they get, the haurs they wark and the attitude .of emplayers and ather emplayees
tawards them.

The study finds substantial numbers .of students undertaking paid emplayment in
term times as well as in vacatians, when yau might traditionally expect them ta wark.
They are avelWhelmingly warking to pay for basic living costs such as rent and faad
and to pay off debts, such as overdrafts, incurred during their time as students.
Very few are warking .only ta pay towards their sacial lives .or ta fund travel abraad
during vacations.

Students are cammanly emplayed in law paid accupatians and twa thirds are
earning h.ourly rates belaw 4. The GMB is campaigning far minimum haurly rates
abave this level. In additian, a substantial minarity .of students - nearly 13%

are

earning 3 an haur .or less.

Overall, the survey reveals a picture of increasing numbers of students having no

choice but to do paid work during their courses to be able to continue their studies
and meet basic living costs. The need ta wark and study is putting them under
increasing pressu re and the quality .of their results is being affected. The numbers
1

of students in full time ed ucation and in employment are increasing and they now
form a significant group in the economy as a whole. Students form part of the
substantial numbers of the young workers identified in prevIous GMB studies as
being low paid, unprotected and open to exploitation by employers.

Key Findings

Three quarters of students are working for less than 4 an hour and around 13%
per cent of these have pay rates of 3 an hour or less.

Four out of 10 students are employed during their term times and over two thirds
of these work through their vacations as well.

Students most commonly work in retail and hotels/pubs/catering - industries

characterised by low pay, casualisation and low levels of trade union
organisation.

Many students are working long, unsocial hours and are often not paid overtime
or premia rates for doing so. The average overtime rate for a term time worker
is less than 1 more than the average hourly rate.

Over three quarters of students are doing the same jobs as permanently
employed staff but only half are paid the same rate.

Four out of 10 students working in term time are employed for 12.5 - 20 hours
a week. Three out of 10 are working 8 - 12 hours a week.

Over eighty per cent of students working in term time get no sick pay or holiday
pay and around 40 per cent get no meal breaks or tea breaks.

A fifth of all students reported health and safety problems in their workplaces,
with the most common accidents being burns and cuts,

Twenty per cent of students reported trade unions present in their workplaces
but of the 185 who could have joined just 24 (15.5%) did so.

A third of students reported being badly treated by their employers.

The majority of students are working to pay for their basic living and study costs
and to pay off or reduce debts.

Over a third of all students said their employment had affected their studies but
this in'creased to two thirds for the students who are working during term time,

Over 10 per cent of all students had missed lectures or failed to submit work
because of their employment. For term time workers the proportions rose to over
30 per cent missing lectures and 20 per cent failing to submit work due to their
employment.

Background

This survey was commissioned jointly by the GMB and the NUS in 1995.

The

Labour Research Department analysed the results producing this report in March
1996. The survey objectives and methodology are detailed in Appendix A.

The report forms part of the GMB's series of studies produced during 1994 and
1995 looking at the economic state of young people in the UK today. The first of
these found a third of all jobs for young workers paid wages below the level of
income support; the second report found 44 per cent of young people were excluded
from available job vacancies; the third found large numbers of school students being
exploited as a source of cheap labour; and the fourth report put the case for
minimum wage legislation to be applied in full to young people under 18 in
employment. The fifth report looked at how laws protecting school children were
enforced and found that on average only one in eight of the school children at work
were registered with their local authority. The Students at Work report is the first to
consider in detail the economic conditions of students in employment.

The report also follows on from surveys carried out by the NUS looking at levels of
student debt. The latest Value for Money Survey was produced in March 1995 by
the N U S and National Westminster Bank and examined the extent of debt of full
time undergraduates at two universities. The survey revealed 68 per cent of students
were in debt with average debt levels of 1,548 for 17-21 year olds, 4,301 for 2226 year aids, and 7,187 for students over 26 years old. The greatest amount of
debt was for the student loan and for money borrowed from parents, and both these
levels of debt had increased substantially from figures produced the year before.
The financial pressure on students has been exacerbated by a government
reduction

in

grant levels of 10 per cent in cash terms last year and older students

will be further affected by the abolition of the Older Students Allowance, recently
announced by the government.

The NUS conclude that "higher education is increasingly becoming the preserve of
the affluent". The survey results showed that half of students were working or
looking for work during term times and "many are now spending far more time
working in bars, shops and restaurants than in the lecture theatre or library". A
quarter of undergraduates were considering leaving due to financial pressures.

The Students at Work survey confirms these developments and provides firm
evidence of the financial pressures faced by students today. Finding and keeping
paid work has become a necessity for many, and for most it is work which is low
paid and insecure. The GMB has been at the forefront in campaigning for proper
pay and conditions at work for all young workers. Students now form significant
numbers within this group and it was on this basis that the GMB and NUS joined
forces to highlight the low pay and exploitation they are facing.

There are 1.9 million young people aged between 16 and 24 in full time education.
Of these 723,000 (37.9%) are also employed. The table below gives a breakdown
by age group of the numbers of students who are working in Britain today. It shows
that 45.3% of students aged 18-19, and 31.6% of students aged 20-24 are also
employed.

Labour market and educational status of young people (Summer

1994)

All under
25

16-17

18-19

20-24

In employment

574

800

2,657

4,030

In full time
education

860

520

527

1,907

236 (45.3%)

167(31.6%)

(0005)

In employment and in full

320 (37.2%)
time education

Source: Labour Force Survey Quarterly Bulletin, Summer 1994

723

(379'/0)

Students are amongst the lowest paid workers in Britain and the majority are being
paid less Ihan 4 an hour. This is confirmed by the information supplied from
students themselves in the Students at Work survey and by statistics obtained from
the Labour Force Survey statistical enquiry service, Quantime. These figures show
that 66% of 18 year-old, 65% of

19

year-old and 64% of 20 year-old students are

earning less than 4 an hour in the jobs they are doing.

The results of the Students at Work survey reveal similar proportions of students are
working for less than 4 an hour. Overall, 71.8% of students working d u ring term
time. and nearly three quarters - 74.3% of students working vacations were earning
-

less than 4 an hour. The findings suggest that over half a million students are
currently working for less than 4 an hour.

In the course of producing this research the government announced that a national
committee of inquiry into higher education, to be chaired by Sir Ron Dearing, will
report next year. It will look at student finances as well as HE funding and major

avoids having to tell the electorate what is accepted by many as inevitable - that
students, parents and employers will face paying yet more for a university education.

1'&2

The national picture

Of the total 662 respondents to the survey, 63% are female and 37% male. They
are overwhelmingly pursuing full time degree courses (96%) and their average age
is 21.2 years.

Six out of 10 respondents (61%) said they worked only during vacations with over
a third - 39% - working during term-time. Of these, 67% worked both term-time and
during vacations.

Of the 259 (39%) of students engaged in term time work, nearly three quarters
(70%) are currently in work. In other words their employment is ongoing and they
are working now.

A fifth (19.7%) had worked during their previous terms and

although not currently employed indicated they were seeking alternative term time
work. The remainder had worked during earlier terms but are not currently working.
The majority of responses relate to employment in 1995 to date with just eight giving
information on their employment in 1994.

For those giving information on vacation work, most related to employment during
the easter and summer vacations of 1995. In 18 cases out of the total 407 records
for vacation work, the information related to vacation employment during 1994 with
the rest relating to vacation employment in 1995.

Written contracts of employment were given to just less than half of students
working during vacations (48.7%) and to just over half of those engaged in term time
work (54.4%).

Type of work and occupations

The three largest groupings of students' occupations for both term time and vacation
work are in shop work, hotels/pubs/restaurants and a category defined as "other",

i!

for which a range of occupations were given including factory/warehouse work

nursing/carer. farm work, secu rity, library work and nannying/childcare and others.
For term time working, around a third of students fell into each of these three
categories.

For

vacation

work,

the

proportions

working

in

shops

and

hotels/pubs/restaurants fell to around 20%, with office work increasing from 8.5% in
term time to 16.5% during vacations, and the "other" category increasing from 29.7%
in term time to 36.7%

in

vacations. Table 1 gives a full breakdown of the types of

employment students are involved in.

Table 1:

Type of term time and vacation work

T e rm t i m e
retail

hotels/pubs/

cleaning

office

building

oth er

28.2

28.6

5.8

8.5

0.4

29.7

No

73

74

15

77

23.6

2.2

16.5

1.5

36.7

13

96

22

Vacation

No

20.5

119

137

2 13

, 2a

Students' pay
The majority of students are working for very low pay both in their term time and
vacation work (see Table 2) and most are working for earnings weI! below the most
commonly used definitions of low pay. These are the Council of Europe's "decency
threshold" calculated at 68% of full time average earnings for men and women, and
currently standing at 6.03 per hour; and the Low Pay Unit's, low pay threshold,
calculated as two thirds of median full time male earnings, currently standing at
5.69 an hour.

We found an average hourly rate for term time work of 3.86 and for vacation work
3.62. Of the 245 students giving details of their pay during term time nearly three
quarters (71.8%) were earning less than 4 an hour with most of these earning
between 3 - 3.99 an hour.

Of the 544 students giving pay details for earning during vacations, three quarters
(74.2%) earned less than 4 an hour and again the largest grouping came in the
range of 3 to 3.99 an hour (61.8%).

In addition, significant numbers of students are working for less than 3 an hour.
During term time worl( 7.3% of students reported pay rates below 3 an hour, and
in vacations the proportion rose to 12.5%.

Statistics from the Labour Force Survey show there are 723,000 students in full time
educatiorr and in employment. Our findings suggest that over half a million students
are earning pay rates below 4 an hour with around 72,000 earning 3 an hour or
below. Students are also disproportionately represented within this level of earnings
w hen compared to the working population as a whole. In total there are 5.2 million
employees of working age in Britain earning below 4 an hour, representing 24%
of the working population. Over 70% of students earn less than 4 an hour.

Overtime

Students' working hours are often not confined to their basic hours - many work
overtime and we found they are often either not paid extra for doing it or are paid
very little above normal hourly rates (see Table 3). On average students are paid
just 1 or less per hour more for working overtime.

A third of term time workers worked overtime hours. Over half of these (51.8%)
reported overtime pay rates remaining within the 3 to 3.99 pay range, which is
what most students are earning for normal hours. The average overtime rate for
term time workers was 4.57, less than 1 more than the average hourly earnings
for term time work of 3.86.

Table 2:

Hourly pay rates

Term time

under
2

2 2.99

3 3.99

4 4.99

5 5.99

6 6.99

7 7.99

8+

0.8

6.5

64.5

18.8

2.9

2.4

0.8

3.3

No

16

158

46

Average hourly rate: 3.86

Vacation
%

0.7

11.8

61.8

18.2

4.2

2.2

0.6

0.6

No

64

336

99

23

12

Average hourly rate: 3.62

10

Table 3: Overtime rates

Term time
under

2 -

3 -

4 -

5 -

2.99

3.99

4.99

5.99

6.99

7 7.99

2.4

51.8

16.9

10.8

8.4

9.6

43

14

%
No

Average overtime rate: 4.57

Vacation
%

3.9

33.8

29.0

15.6

11.7

6.1

No

78

67

36

27

14

Average overtime rate: 4.62

The overtime earnings figures improved slightly for vacation work with nearly a third
(29%) in the 4-4.99 range. However. over a third (37%) of vacation workers were
earning overtime rates below 4 and the average overtime rate was 4.62, exactly
1 higher than the 3.62 average hourly earnings for vacation work.

Additional costs
Before students can begin spending their hard earned cash they have to pay for
other costs related to their work. We asked students to detail what they spent on
weekly travel to and from their employment, and whether they had to meet any other
costs such as payment for equipment or uniforms. Nearly half of term time workers
(47.5%) paid to travel to work with a median weekly expenditure of 4.30.

For

vacation workers, 70% were paying travel costs with a median weekly expenditure
of 7.95 a week.

As well as travel expenses, a fifth of students have to pay for other items related to

11

their work. The most common items paid for were uniforms which required a deposit
and laundering costs for clothes worn at work. Amongst the other items students
paid for were earplugs, pens, hard hats, steel toe cap boots, gloves and other
protective wear.

E.

Curran, Birmingham Students are exploited by nightclubs. They are paid poor wages and expected
my wages for the stock being down or the

to worl< very late, even in the week. Money was taken out of

till bemg down.

When and how students are paid

Nearly a third of students working term time (32%) are paid cash-in-hand and 4.2%
get their money as a lump sum. Over half (54.4%) are paid weekly with just 3.9%
paid monthly. The questionnaire did not ask for other combinations of payment but
respondents working in fast food outlets such as McDonalds and Burger King
indicated that they were paid every fortnight, allowing the employer to earn profit on
t heir earnings for a longer period.

Fifty nine per cent of students doing vacation work are paid weekly and just over
nine per cent monthly.

Nearly a third were paid cash in hand (27.5%) with 2.8%

paid monthly.

Tax and national insurance

The survey results on the question of whether students are paying tax and national
insurance. are significant in t hat national insurance contributions count towards
benefits, such as the State Pension, in later life.

Four out of 10 students in term time work are not paying tax or national insurance,
which may reftect that they are earning less than 58 a week, the 1995 level at
which national insurance should be paid. In addition, most students' total annual
earnings fall below the figure which can be earned before tax is taken - 3,525 in
1 995.
12

Nevertheless, we found over 10% of students in the survey earning more than 58
a week and nearly 90% of these were earning above the 3,525 level which is not
liable for tax. While being paid cash in hand clearly appeals to students who need
as much money as they can get now, it should be noted that this may be detrimental
in later life, particularly if full time study continues beyond three years.

Table 4:

Proportion paying tax and national insurance

Paid tax and NI
No

Yes
(No.)

(%)

(No.)

(%)

Term time

143

55.2

102

39.4

Vacation

421

72.5

154

26.5

Table 5:

When students get paid

Weekly

monthly

cash-in-hand

lump sum

Term time

54 .4

3.9

32.0

4.2

No

141

10

83

11

59.0

9.3

27.5

2.8

No

343

54

160

16

Vacations

Equal pay?
We asked students whether they were doing the same jobs as permanently
employed workers and if so, whether they were being paid the same.

More than three quarters of term time working students (78.4%) and vacation

13

working students (84.2%) were doing the same jobs as permanently employed staff
but only just over half of the term time student workers and 42.3% of vacation
workers were paid the same rates. The rest were either paid less

22.2% of term

time workers, 33.7% of vacation workers - or didn't know what the permanent
employees were earning and could make no comparison (25.1 % term time and

21.9% vacation). Tables 6 and

show the extent to which students are being denied

the pay rates they are entitled to.

Table 6:

Same job as permanently employed

Yes
(No.)

(% )

No
(No.)

(%)

Term time

203

78.4

47

18.1

Vacation

489

84.2

85

14.6

Table 7: Same pay for same job

same
( No.)

(%)

less
(No.)

(%)

don't know
(No.)
(%)

Term time

106

52.2

45

22.2

51

25.1

Vacations

207

42.3

165

33.7

107

21.9

C. Wood, East Anglla Students should be paid the same rates as other full time employees doing the
same job - not exploited. H

Times' and hours of work

Times

Students are flexible in their working hours. They have to be in order to fit in as
much of their course work as possible. Their need for flexibility also suits employers
in the areas where they are most commonly employed, the retail and hotels!
14

pubs/catering industries.

The difference between students' times of work in vacations and during term time
is quite startling.

We asked them to indicate whether they worked days, nights,

evenings and weekends and allowed for combinations to be selected. During term
time, 46% of students said they were working during the day, compared to 87% of
students during vacations. Six in 10 term time workers worked nights compared to
four in 10

vacation workers, and 28% of term time workers worked evenings,

compared to 2 1 % of vacation workers. At the weekends six in 10 term time workers

were working compared to five in 10 students working in vacations.

During term time, the majority of student workers are working unsocial hours at.
night, in the evening and at weekends but their pay statistics show they receive little
in the way of enhanced rates for doing so. During vacations the majority of students
work during the day but nearly half are also are also working nights and weekends.
Working three evenings up to 12 midnight makes you tired and affects your
ability to concentrate and read during the day.

P. Vickers, East Anglia

A.S.

Lupton, East AngUa f do not seem to have any quality time to myself. I get left out socially by

friends because I work at weekends. As a result I can get very depressed. I am also very tired during
the day. H

Table 8:

Times of work
day

night

evening

weekend

46.7

58.7

28.6

59.1

No.

121

152

74

153

87.8

44.6

21.3

49.7

No.

510

259

124

28.9

Tenn time

Vacations

15

Hours

Because the majority of students are earning low rates of pay they are having to
work long hours to get the money they need. We found nearly three quarters of
students working in term time are working over eight hours a week (73.2%).
However, four out of 10 students within the breakdown given in Table 9 are working
between 12.5 and 20 hours a week. Just over a third -

36.2% - are working

between 8-12 hours a week.

Nine per cent of students are working more than 21 hours a week during term time
and this includes 10 students who are clearly working full-time whilst pursuing full
time degrees with hours at 30 or above.

During vacations, as you would expect, the proportion working over 21 hours is
higher and the largest grouping , four in 10, are in the 35-40 hour range. Twenty
three per cent of students work between 20-34 hours a week in vacations, and
11.5% are working more than 41 hours a week. Thirty nine (7.6%) of the students
responding were working 50 o r more hours a week during their vacations.
H. Tallon. Birmingham WMy tutor noticed I was tired due to working hard for my course and in a shop
but realised that with no money to live on, { wouldn't be there to study anyway. W
K. D.ulien, East Anglia I now realise being in debt is a way of student life. / have 20 hours of lectures
and I need to work 20 hours to make ends meet.

Table 9: Students working hours in term time (232 responses)

Hours

No

1 - 7.5
8 - 12
12.5 - 20
21+
Over 8

62
84
92
21
170

26.7
36.2
39.6
9.0
73.2

16

Table 10:

Students working hours in vacations (513 responses)

Hours
1 - 7.5
8 - 12
12.5 - 19.5
20 - 34
35 - 40
41+

No

26

5.0
8. 5
8.9
23.0
42.9
11.5

44

46
118
220
59

l. Richardson, Newcastle Because my employers know I have an overdraft to pay off I'm the first
person they ring in an emergency because they know I won't say no to extra hours.

Entitlements
Few students in the survey were entitled to sick pay and/or holiday pay. This is
clearly significant for students who are largely dependent on regular income from
working to pay their basic living costs, and for those who continue to work through
term times into vacation periods.

The results for term time workers are most significant as vacation employment for
the majority is usually for a shorter fixed period.

Eight out of 10 students working over term times get no sick pay and said they were
not entitled to holiday pay. The corresponding figures for vacation work were similar
with around seven out of 10 vacation workers getting no sick pay and no holiday
pay.

17

Table 11:

Entitlements - sick pay and holiday pay

Sick pay
yes

no

Holiday pay
yes
no

9.6

84.7

12.9

83.3

No.

56

492

75

484

14.7

78.4

19.7

73.7

No.

38

203

51

191

Term time

Vacations

In addition substantial numbers of students are not being given time off for meal
breaks or tea breaks, with term time workers faring worst in this area. We found four
out of 10 students working term time got no meal or tea breaks compared to two out
of 10 vacation workers.

However, term time workers were more likely to be given time off work for academic
reasons

60% compared to 44.6% of vacation workers. This difference might be

expected as the demands of lectures and seminars are not present for vacation
workers.

Table 12:

Entitlements - meal breaks and tea breaks

meal breaks
no
yes

tea breaks
yes

no

Term time

56.1

43.8

61.3

38.6

No.

132

103

143

90

82.9

170

76.1

23.8

No.

462

95

419

131

Vacation

18

Health and safety at work

A fifth of all students in the survey reported health and safety problems in their
places of work. These problems ranged from workplace hazards which could cause
injury, to incidents of actual injury.

Amongst the most common accidents were

burns from hot equipment or food, and cuts from knives or handling paper. Injuries
from heavy lifting of objects or people (in nursing) were also reported,

However, a whole range of other health and safety problems were reported including
having to clean up vomit and soiled baby nappies, dermatitis, fumes ana lack of air
conditioning, noise, spillages, cluttered fioors, computer cables all over fioor, "nasty
customers" and needlestick injuries.

One student reported he had "nearly died in an accident when a wheel of the vehicle
I was driving fell off',

Another was "recently beaten up" and another reported

"working alone at night in an urban petrol station", Others bad injuries included the
student who "caught my finger under electric doors causing fractures" and another
who "left work after two weeks because of an accident spilling boiling water. One
female student said all women employees experienced safety risks because "the
building had poor lighting around it."

Trade unions
Unsurprisingly, given the overall poor conditions and pay students experience, the
level of trade union presence in their places of work was low. To a large extent this
reflects the generally low levels of union organisation in the industries students are
working in, and the fact that part time workers are less likely to be members of
unions.

The level of union density (i

e.

employees who are also members of trade unions)

for part time workers in all industries is 21% compared to 39% for full time workers.
19

However, for part time workers in retail and hotels and catering

two of the main

areas of student employment - these proportions fall to 11% in retail and 8% in

hotels and catering. The level of union density for full time workers in these
industries is also low at 16% in retail and 13% in hotels and catering.

Union density in some other industries is much higher. For example, in banking and

finance, 56% of part time workers and 52% of full time workers are also union
members. In health, 53% of part time hospital workers and 68% of full time workers
are members of trade unions.

Even so, we found over a fifth of students in the Students at Work survey reporting
that there were recognised trade unions in their workplaces. The responses
reporting that there were recognised trade unions in their workplaces were similar
for vacation workers (22.4%) and for term time workers (21.2%).

However, j ust

8.5% of vacation workers joined the workplace union compared to 23.6% of the
term-time workers. But although these percentages are quite different they actually
represent similar numbers of students because the majority of responses in the
survey relate to vacation workers. In fact, just 11 of a possible 130 vacation workers
had joined the union and just 1 3 of a possible 55 term time workers had joined.

The survey reveals that even where there is a trade union presence In the
workplace the majority of students are not joining. Out of a possible 185 students
who could have joined a union in their workplace just 24 (15.5%) did so. In addition
significant numbers either did not fill in this part of the questionnaire or indicated that
they did not know if there was a trade union or not.

Attitudes toward student workers

We asked students to describe how they are/were treated by their employers at
work by choosing one of four categories - well, fairly, poorly or very poorly. Around
half of all students said they were treated well

20

50.4% of vacation workers and 49%

of term time workers. However, over a third of students said they thought they were
treated poorly

37.3% of vacation workers and 35.1% of term time workers. Less

than 10% of students thought they were treated fairly with 5.8% indicated they were
treated very poorly.
J. Khan. East London HStudents are generally treated quite badly in employment and not valued or
given enough respect.

, was treated badly.

my complaints were ignored and my contract was not

renewed.

Common complaints about treatment were that students were expected to work
harder and were made to do the worst jobs, they were often not paid extra for
working bank holidays, or weekends and didn't get bonus payments, they were
given less responsibility, they were given the most unsocial hours/shifts, they were
not entitled

to

discounts,

were

treated

as "outsiders"

were

acknowledged and were expected to do more overtime.

Typical comments made about treatment were:

"constantly checked on and made to do the wot jobsH
udidn'/ get paid extra for Sundays and Bank hofidays
Hdidn't get bonus when everyone else didu
Hexpected to do more than permanent employees
"expected to work unsociable hours when full timers were not"
''forced to do more menial tasks"
'"u
f ll time staff look down on students
Hhead chef treats students and temps as dogsbodies
ignored and treated as if beneath them
"made fun of because

I was a studenr

"not always invited to special events

only paid for hours worked had a trip out and permanent people paid I wasn't
"paid less for the same or more work"
seen as a bit of an outsider because temporary
"students expected to do more overtime"
"they knew we needed the money so would be less likely to complain about job"
"treated as a lower life form"
'\ve were alllreated like dogs!

21

not

socially

"we were all treated poorly".

How students found their employment

For vacation work, nearly four in 10 students got their employment through their
friends or family and a further four in 10 through word of mouth or from a newspaper
advert. Ten per cent of vacation workers got their employment through a job centre
or agency and 4.3% had approached employers themselves.

Just 2.2% used a

student union bureau to find vacation work.

For term time work, far more students used their student union bureau to find work
(17.4%) with, not surprisingly, the proportion falling to 19.7% for work found through
friends and family.

However, nearly half of term time workers (48.2%) found their

work either by word of mouth or from a newspaper advert. Five per cent got their
term time work through a job centre or agency and 4.6% approached employers
themselves.

Why students need money from work

The surVey results make clear that the overwhelming reasons why students need
the money from working are to pay for their basic living and study costs and to have
some money for a social life.

Table 1 3 shows the responses to a multiple choice question on why students

needed tbe money from working. The categories were not exclusive and students
responding were able to tick more than one box.

Most students gave combination answers to this question but the basic results break
down as follows. For term time workers, the largest group (42.9%) said they needed
to work to cover living and study costs, 39.8% said the money was needed for basic
living costs and 40.9% said their earnings were used towards their social life.

22

T. Goldman,

Birmingham

approximately BOO a term.

/t shouldn't be necessary to work. My grant is just 325 a term. My rent is

I need a job just to pay my rent.

For students working in vacations the proportion saying they needed the money for
basic living costs dropped to 28.6%, which is not surprising as it can be assumed
that a substantial number will have returned to parental homes for vacations,
reducing expenditure on living costs.

However, 37.7% still indicated that their

vacation work was needed to pay for living and study costs. The proportion saying
they needed the money to pay towards their social life is around 10% higher than
for term time workers at 50.3%.
L.J. Ribbing, Plymouth f work 10 hours a week to pay for food and basic living costs. I could not go
to university if I didn't have this job."

Why money is needed

Table 1 3 :

Living
costs

living
& study

study
costs

social
life

other

Tenn time

39.8

42.9

8.9

40.9

10.8

No.

103

111

23

106

28

28.6

37.7

9.1

50.3

16.7

No.

166

219

53

292

97

Vacations

The proportion of students working in vacations and during term times who indicated
they needed money to pay for study costs were similar at 9.1% and 8.9%
respectively.

Students were also able to indicate on the questionnaire other areas which they
needed money to pay for. A total of 45 students working term time filled in this
section and more than half (51%) were working to supplement their grants to cover
essential costs such as paying rent, and several had children to support and
23

mortgage costs to meet. In addition, nearly a third said they were working either to
finance trips abroad, to cover travel costs, to pay off overdrafts/debts, to buy
specialist books, or to buy clothes.

V. Bright, East Anglia Students doing full time courses should not have to work during term time. In
vacations work should be done to pay for leisure interests, not for books. I spend over

100 on course

texts...

Some of the most representative responses as to why students worked in term time
were:
For child support and student loan.

"Help with bringing up my child on my own and mortgage...

"' have two children and need to supplement by grant. "
"need to finance year abroadH
parents can't afford to give me full grant"
pay {or chifdcare"
"pay oft my overdraft"
"to generally keep my head above water"
"to run by car otherwise

f couldn't work where I do

"to support family situation and study"

supplement living costs and travel in vacations".

For vacation workers, the largest grouping within the 145 students who filled in this
sction of the questionnaire were the 27.7% who were working vacations to
specifically pay off or reduce their overdrafts and/or other debts. The second largest
group (16.9%) were working vacations to fund travel/holidays.

However, a

Significant number were working in their holidays to fund the next term's living costs
(11.5%). :

T. Wales, East Anglia "It's essential to worl< vacations to earn money for the forthcoming year."

Just 8.1 % of students were working to fund their social lives or to buy clothes and
only 2% said they were working to get work experience or to further their careers.
In fact, we found that the vast majority of students are employed in work which they
say is not relevant in any way to their future careers. Table 14 shows over 80% of
24

vacation and term time workers are in work which bears no relation to their future
employment.

L.M. Jardine, East

as I have no grant.

Table 14:

Anglia I don't have time to work because of my heavy schedule but I need to work
f am 1,800 in debt after my first term.

Is work relevant to future career?

Yes

No

13.5

80.7

35

209

16.7

81.2

No.

97

472

Term time
%
No.

Vacations

The effects of employment on studies

Finally, we asked all the students responding to the survey about the effects their
employment might be having or has had on their academic grades and performance.
A separate breakdown is given below for students working over term times.

The overall results for the whole survey, reflecting the answers given by students
working both in their vacations and in term time, are detailed in Table 14.

More than a third (38.6%) of all students said working had affected their studies but
the majority of these indicated that the effect was slight.

However, 6.6% of all

respondents said their studies had been badly affected.

K.M. Hookes, Leeds "Had to stop employment during semester as second year exams came up. Had
to retake first semester and second year exams due to work commitments.

25

Table 1 5:

Has employment affected study? - (All students)

working
affect study
(yes)

missed
lectures
(yes)

failed to
submit work
(yes)

38.6

14.3

10.5

No.

257

95

70

To what extent has study been affected?

not at
all

slightly

badly

very
badly

Achieved higher
grades if not working
(yes)

43.1

47.3

6.6

0.6

32.6

No. 287

315

44

217

Nearly a third of all students (32.6%) felt they would achieve higher grades if they
were not in employment and over 10% of all students had missed lectures (14.3%)
and/or failed to submit course work on time (10.5%) because of their employment.

However, the statistics change drastically when looking at the responses from
students who are working during their term time. (See Table 16).

Of these students, nearly two thirds (64.5%) said their employment had affected
their studies compared to 38.6% overall, and 12% said their studies had been badly
affected compared to 6.6% overall.

Table 1 6: Has employment affected study? - (Term time workers)

working
affect study
(yes)

missed
lectures
(yes)

failed to
submit work
(yes)

64. 5

31.3

20.1

No.

167

81

52

26

To what extent has study been affected?

No.

not at
all

slightly

badly

very
badly

Achieved higher
grades if not working
(yes)

20.8

64.5

12.0

1.5

51.7

54

167

31

134

Over half (51.7%) of students working term time said they felt they would achieve
higher grades if they weren't in employment compared to 32.6% overall.

The

statistics for missed lectures and failure to submit work are also higher for term time
workers - 31.3% had missed lectures compared to 14.3% overall, and 20.1% had
failed to submit work compared to 10.5% overall.

27

Appendix A

Survey objectives

The objectives of the survey were as follows:

to provide a national picture identifying the numbers of students taking term

time and vacation employment;

to provide information about their occupations, hours of work and levels of

earnings and the attitudes of employers and other employees towards them;

to establish if paid work is affecting their studies and grades; and

to establish their reasons for working;

Methodology

A total of 9,000 questionnaires were distributed in batches of 1,000 to students at

each of nine universities and 662 responses were received, a response rate of
7.3%. The questionnaires were sent directly by NUS HQ to students at Birmingham,
East Anglia, Leeds and East London.

The student unions at Manchester,

Newcastle, Plymouth, Sussex and Warwick distributed the questionnaire to their

students.

Four of the universities provided response rates of 5% and above - Birmingham

-

21.3%, East Anglia 16.6%, Leeds 14.4% and East London 6.5%.

Students 'were asked to complete and return a questionnaire designed to provide

information on why they were working, their occupation at work, rates of pay, hours
of work and attitudes of employers and other employees; and whether paid work
was affecting their studies and grades.

28