Teen workers open to exploitation
Issue Date: - Thursday, 8 May 2008
West Australian research has found young people are often wide open to exploitation in the workplace.
Fair Employment Advocate Helen Creed said today her investigations had found many instances where teenagers had been unfairly treated at work.
Launching a Discussion Paper titled "Vulnerable Workers: Young People" Ms Creed said the research was part of a program looking into the conditions and obstacles faced by vulnerable workers, in this instance the special problems faced by teenagers in the 15 to 19 year old age bracket. It was also a direct response to complaints lodged with the Fair Employment Advocate's complaints line, and queries to the states Wageline.
Among many examples cited of unfair treatment were:
- A 15 year old employee worked as a trolley collector and was not paid for six weeks work. After asking the employer about the money, he was told that another employee had stolen the wages and neither he nor the other employees would be getting paid.
- A young apprentice had $25 per week deducted from his wages without consent, to pay for transport to and from work. Under the award he should have either been paid a travel allowance or the travel provided.
- A young woman who provided a medical certificate and was told it wasn't enough. She wouldn't be paid for sick leave. She'd also worked four days unpaid overtime.
Other examples included young apprentices and trainees ordered to sign workplace agreements that downgraded employment conditions including the removal of penalty rates, reduced meal breaks, and the removal of allowances for tools and travel, sham contracts, and under age employment.
The study found young people are vulnerable because:
- They often had less experience of the workplace and consequently a lower awareness of their employment rights and obligations.
- Their level of knowledge about pay and conditions put them at a distinct disadvantage when entering employment.
- They are predominately casual or part time employees with less job security, lower training opportunities.
- They have lower expectations about their treatment in the labour market.
The Fair Employment Advocate found the rate of teenage employment had almost trebled in the last generation, and currently more than half of those employed were in low skilled part time or casual jobs in the retail sector. They were usually students combining employment with education, either at school, TAFE or university.
Ms Creed said "the aim of the discussion paper is to raise awareness among employers and employees of their rights and obligations, and to promote fairer, flexible and productive work places for all. These young people are our sons and daughters and their school mates. It is vital their first work experiences be positive ones".
At the same time the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection has created a specific web site aimed at improving young people's understanding of the work environment. Called "Your First Job" it is a program for teachers to use in the classroom with senior school students outlining how to get a job, behaviour in the workplace, and their rights and obligations.