Looking for research participants who have experienced unpaid wages

[StoneRoad]

My mate got knocked by a builder he was doing some electrical work for. My mate phoned the builder and his office everyday for two weeks trying to get his wages. The builder finally told my mate that he would kill him if he didn't fuck off. My mate doesn't like Coffee but wants his money, Whats your advice in this situation ?

I would tell your mate to go to site and dis-install his stuff - telling the owner/occupier why. or try for a small claims (for which he will need full details). If the builder claims to be in the federation of master builders, or similar, then complain to them. followed by HMRC and the local press.

 

[Thimble Queen]

@unpaid Britain must be regretting postING this here now

 

[Wilf]

@unpaid Britain must be regretting postING this here now

Urban75, always ready to help.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

My mate got knocked by a builder he was doing some electrical work for. My mate phoned the builder and his office everyday for two weeks trying to get his wages. The builder finally told my mate that he would kill him if he didn't fuck off. My mate doesn't like Coffee but wants his money, Whats your advice in this situation ?

Rip the wires back out again.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

SolFed are quite good at escalating disputes with small firms.

 

[mango5]

I am afraid due to research ethics and a limited budget we are unable to pay people to participate. However we will pay for coffee and can give advice on how to go about getting the money you are owed.

Many research ethics frameworks would consider reimbursement of costs entirely in keeping, and put stringent conditions on 'advice' given (competent, independent of the research, confidential, etc). And Trust for London ain't short of a few quid.

 

[maomao]

What did you make of the clear no researchers condition you agreed to as part of your signup?

You can't resist it can you you little fucking Blakey cunt.

 

[UnpaidBritain]

i'm a man

Yes, I am owed £25 by Staffline Coventry for a one-off day's work in a clothing warehouse near Baginton I did in 2000. They claimed I "must not have clocked in properly".

This is a typical story did they ever give you the money?

 

[UnpaidBritain]

i was underpaid for years by a well-known local authority: i was 0.4fte but they input 14h24m into the pay computer as 14.24 rather than 14.4. got several hundred pounds when i *finally* got the money out of them.

How did you finally get the money? Would you like to talk to us about it? if you do give us a message or email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

 

[UnpaidBritain]

My mate got knocked by a builder he was doing some electrical work for. My mate phoned the builder and his office everyday for two weeks trying to get his wages. The builder finally told my mate that he would kill him if he didn't fuck off. My mate doesn't like Coffee but wants his money, Whats your advice in this situation ?

Have a look at this guide Guide to claiming unpaid wages


Is your mate a Union member? If so best port of call is to go talk to their union, if they are not a union member ask them to go to their local CAB for advice they are usually very good at advising and supporting people in these situations. Another option is to give ACAS a call on 0300 123 1100 they will be able to give some advice however their main role is a conciliator and with your mates permission they will contact the employer and try and reach a settlement. We have developed a guide on how to claim unpaid wages it after people came to us with similar questions it can be found on Guide to claiming unpaid wages If your mates wants someone to talk through it with they can contact Nick Clark on [email protected]

We would love to hear from your mate if they would be interested in talking to us about it.

 

[RubyToogood]

Company I worked for went bust owing us all a month's wages, and then immediately re-opened under a slightly different name. It's only with hindsight that you realise this is a classic tactic and they knew perfectly well what they were doing. Thieving bastards.

 

[UnpaidBritain]

Company I worked for went bust owing us all a month's wages, and then immediately re-opened under a slightly different name. It's only with hindsight that you realise this is a classic tactic and they knew perfectly well what they were doing. Thieving bastards.

Yes indeed classic tactic! Would you like to talk to us about it?

 

[Pickman's model]

How did you finally get the money? Would you like to talk to us about it? if you do give us a message or email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

Months of emails with payroll despite managers' support, was about to submit grievance when they gave me the money. for ages they insisted I'd been paid correctly even though I showed clearly they were wrong.

 

[mango5]

UCU report: ‘academics work two days a week unpaid’

I suppose unpaid work is not the same as unpaid wages, but if someone expects you to do more work than they will pay you for then you're still being ripped off.

Hopefully UnpaidBritain has decent terms and conditions

 

[Miss-Shelf]

they are very likely to be putting in a lot of unpaid hours. I don't know anyone in HE who doesn't

I know one of the people on this study and they are sound

 

[mango5]

Yeah it's just a bit of a constant sales pitch 'would you like to talk to us' which sits strangely on a bulletin board where we generally talk to each other via a public thread. Also rule one in the faq suggests people settle in for a bit and that we are not a free resource for researchers, whether the request is mod approved or not. Members who have been here for years still conventionally get approval for this kind of thread.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

I have discovered through the op that I know one of the people: I am not connected to the research

Although one of the researchers was looking into wage deficit and low pay in my sector which is how I know them

 

[mango5]

With freelance work over nearly 10 years I'm astonished if I get paid in a timely manner. I now try to assume that I won't see any cash for 4-6 months after invoicing. I'm still waiting for some from a government department that wanted a rush job before financial year end (last April)
And I do not want to exchange my time for a coffee to talk about it.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

With freelance work over nearly 10 years I'm astonished if I get paid in a timely manner. I now try to assume that I won't see any cash for 4-6 months after invoicing. I'm still waiting for some from a government department that wanted a rush job before financial year end (last April)

 

[stuff_it]

Tons of incidences of wage -theft, not all mine.

Everything from the small business purporting to be a charity and allowing it's workers time off to sign on (it's a limited company, and the owner also makes out that they are anti-capitalist, when in fact they are the capital shareholder for the business), friends who were acting as free on-site security whilst doing some demolition/refurbishment work in lieu of having nowhere to live (they eventually returned 'home' to the building site one night to find all their bedding and possessions locked in the building, the locks changed, and their so-called employer refusing to pay them or let them retrieve their belongings), other people who were underpaid or refused pay for agency hours worked, and others suffering from late payment of freelance contracts.

I do have time to discuss these matters, but plan to be doing so by writing some articles rather than by travelling several hundred miles for a coffee.

 

[UnpaidBritain]

Tons of incidences of wage -theft, not all mine.

Everything from the small business purporting to be a charity and allowing it's workers time off to sign on (it's a limited company, and the owner also makes out that they are anti-capitalist, when in fact they are the capital shareholder for the business), friends who were acting as free on-site security whilst doing some demolition/refurbishment work in lieu of having nowhere to live (they eventually returned 'home' to the building site one night to find all their bedding and possessions locked in the building, the locks changed, and their so-called employer refusing to pay them or let them retrieve their belongings), other people who were underpaid or refused pay for agency hours worked, and others suffering from late payment of freelance contracts.

I do have time to discuss these matters, but plan to be doing so by writing some articles rather than by travelling several hundred miles for a coffee.

Very inserting! Where about are you based? We can always come to you or have a skype discussion about these matters.

 

[Orang Utan]

I have worked many many hours of unpaid overtime in various jobs, but have unofficially made up for it by doing these jobs in a half-arsed, lackadaisical manner, underlined by a surly and uncooperative attitude towards management.

 

[snadge]

I have been unpaid for extra work plenty of times, I usually nick loads of stuff to compensate.

 

[mrs quoad]

I am afraid due to research ethics ... we are unable to pay people to participate.

What total bollocks.

Compensating people for their time is unethical?!

I get the "lack of resources" thing. But think the plea towards "ethics" is the kind of bollocks that gives academics a bad name.

Will you be doing this unpaid?

If not - if you're salaried - then what's your motivation?

Perhaps you're only conducting this study as a means to get cash?

And if so, why should anyone trust you?

Utter, utter bollocks.

 

[mrs quoad]

they are very likely to be putting in a lot of unpaid hours. I don't know anyone in HE who doesn't

I know one of the people on this study and they are sound

That's great.

It doesn't change the fact that claiming that participants will be unpaid, except for coffee, because of "ethics", is bollocks.

 

[Spark]

Just seen this thread. I understand the cynicism but this is a really good important project.

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[mrs quoad]

Just seen this thread. I understand the cynicism but this is a really good important project.

So unpaid work is ok, if it's for good important companies?

A decision has been made at some point in the development of this proposal. And that decision is that the data that is vital to the OP's project (and (paid) career progress) is something they can get for free.

If you believe that's for "ethical" reasons, then more power to your elbow.

Speaking personally - and as a social scientist - that strikes me as utter bollocks.

 

[Spark]

Have you actually looked at the project? From what I can see there are no companies involved. Mainly it is a bunch of trade unionists and academics.

Given the obstacles workers have in enforcing their rights it's hard to tell how big a problem unpaid wages is. This project seems to be trying to shed some light on that which from my perspective is potentially very useful.

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[mrs quoad]

Have you actually looked at the project? From what I can see there are no companies involved.

i) Yes. (Though finding the actual methodology required some digging.)

ii) I didn't suggest that there were any "companies" involved.

The rest of your post doesn't - imo - have any relevance to what I'd posted. Which is still there, should you wish to read it.

 

[mango5]

Given the obstacles workers have in enforcing their rights it's hard to tell how big a problem unpaid wages is. This project seems to be trying to shed some light on that which from my perspective is potentially very useful.

I don't think anyone is critical of the objectives of the research. But as Quoady says, just because it is important doesn't mean we should uncritically provide information they are being paid to collect. Or possibly point out that the information gathered might be skewed by the way the 'recruitment' is happening. Or be unconvinced by the magical invocation of ethics.

Perhaps folk who've been struggling with unpaid wages should be grateful for the attention.