Scott Woodburn from Falkirk is celebrating a decade of career success with Aldi Scotland
A Falkirk man has shared his career success story for National Careers Week, as he marks 10 years of dedicated service with Aldi Scotland.
Scott Woodburn (32) joined Aldi as a part-time Store Assistant during university. After opening the 100th Scottish store in Hermiston Gate as Store Manager, he has quickly risen through the ranks and was recently promoted to Area Manager.
National Careers Week, running from 4 to 9 March 2024, raises awareness about the significance of career guidance, which closely aligns with Aldi’s commitment to employee success and career development.
Scott’s journey with Aldi commenced more than a decade ago when he joined the company as a part-time store assistant while pursuing his degree in Computer Systems and Networks. What started as a job to support his studies quickly transformed into a remarkable career with Aldi.
Scott said: “Aldi is fantastic place to learn, it’s not like anywhere else. The responsibility is far higher, and the team is so tight knit that you create lasting bonds. You rely on each other so much and there’s a real sense that everyone has each other’s backs.”
Scott’s commitment and hard work were evident early on, leading to his promotion to Deputy Store Manager within six months, while he was still studying. He transitioned into a full-time role as an Assistant Store Manager after completing his university degree.
Scott continued: “I enjoyed the idea of working my way up the Aldi career ladder. The structure and the bond within the teams were unique, and I felt supported in my journey.”
During National Careers Week, resources and guidance are highlighted as key attributes to career growth and success. Aldi Scotland provides resources to enhance employee development and offers opportunities for employees to explore various roles and responsibilities. For instance, Scott worked in the regional head office in Bathgate during the Christmas period, enhancing his communication skills and preparing him for his current role as an Area Manager.
Scott attributes his success to the mentorship he received at Aldi: “I felt mentored and supported at each and every stage of my career. When I was approached for the Deputy Store Manager position, I realised that my hard work and ambition had been noticed and as a result, I was being guided into leadership roles.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned at Aldi is owning your mistakes. The higher the role, the higher the responsibility. Being honest and learning from mistakes is crucial for personal and professional growth.”
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “I’m delighted to celebrate Scott Woodburn’s remarkable journey in line with National Careers Week and congratulate him on 10 years at Aldi.
“Scott’s decade of commitment echoes Aldi’s values of hard work, ambition and teamwork and his progression reflects not only his personal growth but also the opportunities for advancement that Aldi provides to its employees.
“This success story is a shining example of Aldi’s dedication to nurturing talent and fostering a culture that values each team member’s contribution. Aldi won Employer of the Year at the Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards 2023 and as we continue to expand, stories like Scott’s underline our commitment to employee success and career development.”
Aldi is currently looking to recruit over 200 new store colleagues across Scotland.
In a welcome boost to the local economy, the UK’s fourth largest supermarket is looking for people of all levels of experience to fill roles at its stores, including Store Cleaner and Store Assistant, all the way up to Deputy Manager and Assistant Store Manager.
Reforms to restrict care workers from bringing family members are now in force, while care providers are required to register if they are sponsoring migrants
New rules to radically cut net migration and tackle visa abuse are now in force as part of the government’s plan to bring down unsustainable levels of legal migration.
Care workers will now be restricted from bringing dependants, after a disproportionate 120,000 dependants accompanied 100,000 workers on the route last year.
Care providers in England acting as sponsors for migrants will also be required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the industry regulator for Health and Social Care – in order to crack down on worker exploitation and abuse within the sector.
It forms part of a wider package of measures, which is being implemented as soon as possible, which means a total of 300,000 people who were eligible to come to the UK last year would now not be able to do so.
Home Secretary, James Cleverly MP, said: “Care workers make an incredible contribution to our society, taking care of our loved ones in times of need. But we cannot justify inaction in the face of clear abuse, manipulation of our immigration system and unsustainable migration numbers.
“It is neither right nor fair to allow this unacceptable situation to continue. We promised the British people action, and we will not rest until we have delivered on our commitment to bring numbers down substantially.
“Our plan is robust but fair – protecting British workers while ensuring the very best international talent can work and study here, to add value to our society and grow the economy.”
There is clear evidence that care workers have been offered visas under false pretences, travelling thousands of miles for jobs that simply don’t exist or to be paid far below the minimum wage required for their work, exploiting them while undercutting British workers.
These changes come into force as the government is set to lay rules in Parliament later this week (14 March) to prevent the continued undercutting of British workers, which includes raising the salary threshold that a skilled worker must meet in order to get a visa and removing the 20% ‘going-rate’ discount for migrant workers in shortage occupations.
Minister for Social Care, Helen Whately MP, said: “International care workers make an invaluable contribution caring for our loved ones, but international recruitment and more immigration are not long-term solutions to our social care needs. These rules provide a more ethical and sustainable approach.
“We are boosting our homegrown workforce by reforming social care careers. These include the first ever national career path for care workers and a new care qualification.
“Our reforms will grow the domestic workforce and build on our success over the last year that saw more people working in social care, fewer vacancies and lower staff turnover.”
The Home Secretary will also, today, commission a review of the graduate route for international students to prevent abuse, protect the integrity and quality of UK higher education, and ensure it works in the best interests of the UK.
He will ask the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to ensure that demand for the graduate route, through which a total of 175,872 visas have been granted since it was established, is fit for purpose and focused on attracting the best and brightest to the UK.
This follows concerns raised after analysis by the MAC revealed that the number of international postgraduate students attending institutions with the lowest UCAS entry requirements has increased by over 250% between 2018 and 2022.
This follows reforms to student visas which came into force at the start of January, ending the ability of nearly all postgraduate students to bring dependants to the UK.
The government expects to see a drastic fall in student dependant applications this year, with early indications already of this downward trend.
In further changes, the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) will be abolished, to be replaced with a new Immigration Salary List on 4 April. This follows a recommendation from the independent MAC, which has also advised the government on which occupations should be temporarily added to the new list initially.
The UK government has been clear that roles should only be included where they are skilled and in shortage, and that no sector should be permanently reliant on immigration. Inclusion on the list must not serve to reduce pay and undermine the recruitment of British workers.
From 4 April, the minimum salary required for those arriving on the Skilled Worker visa will increase from £26,200 to £38,700 – a 48% increase.
This will further drive down numbers, reduce pressure on public services and prevent the undercutting of British workers by employers who look to recruit cheap labour from overseas.
The UK government’s ‘robust’ approach will prioritise the most talented and highly-skilled people from abroad who will add value and contribute significantly to growth of the economy, whilst encouraging employers to invest in training, upskilling, and recruiting domestic workers.
The minimum income requirement for family visas will also rise, starting at £29,000 from 11 April. By early 2025 this will be increased to £38,700, helping to ensure dependants brought to the UK are supported financially.
The UK government has been clear that immigration is not the long-term answer to social care needs and care providers should hire more British workers. The Department for Health and Social Care is leading a programme of work to grow and support the domestic social care workforce. This includes better training, clearer career paths and improved job prospects through a new accredited qualification.
The Department for Work and Pensions is taking decisive action in one of the biggest employment interventions in a generation through its £2.5 billion Back to Work plan, which will help 1.1 million people who are long-term unemployed or long-term sick or disabled break down barriers to work.
Amazon offers one of the top private sector apprenticeship programmes in the UK, with opportunities across more than 30 different schemes
New apprenticeship opportunities on offer in 2024, including digital product manager, are in addition to schemes in buying and merchandising, cyber security, marketing and creative design
Over 50% of the apprenticeships will be offered to existing Amazon employeesto retrain and gain new skills
Amazon, ADCS, Tiphaine Brydniak
Two apprentices at Amazon’s Development Centre in Edinburgh are encouraging others to start an apprenticeship and boost their careers after Amazon announced the expansion of its apprenticeship programme with the addition of 1,000 new positions across the UK in 2024.
Amazon offers one of the UK’s top private sector apprenticeship schemes according to the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers[1], including entry-level placements and more than 230 degree-level apprenticeships in programmes including accounting and data analysts.
Recruitment has now started for more than 30 different schemes, from sustainability to engineering, project management to product buying, and warehouse team leaders to health and safety technicians.
This year, Amazon is also launching new programmes including the digital product manager apprenticeship and the commercial procurement and supply apprenticeship. The range of different apprenticeship schemes reflect both Amazon’s diverse workforce and the communities it serves every day across the UK.
As well as offering hundreds of new roles to external candidates, more than half of the new apprenticeships will be offered to existing employees who will have the opportunity to retrain and gain new skills for an exciting new career path. In 2023, two thirds (67%) of new apprentices at Amazon were aged 25 and over, an increase of 10% year on year, which demonstrates the support apprenticeships provide in helping people pursue new careers.
An apprentice who is currently taking part in the programme is Tiphaine Brydniak, from the Amazon Development Centre in Edinburgh.
Tiphaine is a software development engineer (SDE) apprentice at the Amazon Development Centre in Edinburgh. She’s been in the role since 2021 and is due to complete the apprenticeship in 2025 in conjunction with Edinburgh Napier University.
Tiphaine had been working as an accountant in London for seven years before switching her career path to tech. She’d been interested in the industry since school, initially in web development and video game design, but her lack of experience made her nervous to explore new job opportunities.
When she was on a career break from accountancy, Tiphaine’s partner bought her access to an online course in programming. At the same time, she started building a mobile app for herself to track the birds she spotted. She found she enjoyed the broad scope of tech, and became determined to make a career switch.
In 2021, Tiphaine was accepted onto the Amazon Software Development Engineering apprenticeship, and she hasn’t looked back since.
“At the beginning of my apprenticeship I felt like I knew nothing, and I definitely had a bit of imposter syndrome,” Tiphaine said. “Over the years, I’ve realised that even senior development engineers feel that way sometimes, and it’s part of our growth. I’ve never once felt like I can’t ask my managers questions, and have been supported every step of the way – it’s been brilliant.”
Tiphaine shared what her favourite thing about working at Amazon is, saying: “I’ve rotated through a number of roles during my apprenticeship, which has allowed me to experience different parts of the business. On every team, I’ve played a part in high-impact projects that have complex and interesting problems to solve. You’re not restricted by being an apprentice at Amazon; you get to be fully part of the team.”
Tiphaine has some advice for people thinking of applying for an apprenticeship with Amazon, particularly if it involves changing career later in life: “If you’re worried about going back to uni, you don’t need to be. The split of ‘mature’ students and first timers on this apprenticeship course is about 50/50, which made the experience less daunting for me. It’s important to reflect on how far you’ve come and how much you’ve achieved, and you can do that again in something new.”
Declan Fisher from Livingston is also software development engineer apprentice at Amazon in Edinburgh. He started at the company in August 2021 and is due to complete his apprenticeship later this year.
Declan left school in 2019 and started a degree at Heriot-Watt University studying Maths with Computer Science. He says:
“I had just left school and wanted some freedom, but I don’t think I was ready for university. After two months, I left and took a year out while working part-time at a supermarket. The pandemic also hit that year, so I spent a lot of time considering what it was I wanted to do going forward. I knew I wanted something to challenge me a bit while I was also earning money.
“My mum had told me to look at apprenticeships when I was at school, but it wasn’t until I was older that I went back and had a look at apprenticeships online. I liked the sound of getting paid while I work and study.
“I applied for a few apprenticeships, really anything technical I could find at the time. I knew I liked computers, but I didn’t know how to program at all. I got offered a data analytics role at a different company and did that for a year. During my time there, I realised I enjoyed the programming side but in that role we only did quite simple data analysis. It was a bit repetitive, and I wanted something more, so I started looking for something new and applied for an SDE role at Amazon.”
Declan explains what he is enjoying most about his apprenticeship at Amazon: “It’s such a different way to learn compared to university. I learn a lot more on the job than I would’ve at university, and other apprentices in my cohort have said the same. I like that it’s hands-on experience, and it’s good to be getting paid at the same time.
“I was drawn to Amazon specifically because I’ve always wanted to work in tech, and it’s a household-name tech company, so my heart was set from the beginning. Amazon is a really exciting company to be a part of and there’s lots to get involved in. Just recently we had a social night in the office, had a takeaway and doing some fun team activities.
“The field of technology is constantly developing, and I’ve realised there’s never going to be a time where you’re not learning something new. I always assumed if you were higher up in the company, you’d know everything, but that’s not the case. We’re always learning And developing our skills and knowledge further.
Declan has some advice for anyone considering an apprenticeship at Amazon:
“Make sure you’re passionate about the subject you’re applying for and know it well before you go for an interview. In the same vein, don’t be afraid to apply if you feel underqualified, because the apprenticeship is designed to take someone who doesn’t have any experience and train them to be a skilled engineer.”
After he completes his apprenticeship later this year, Declan hopes to stay at Amazon and progress within the company as a software development engineer.
Nicola Drury, Head of Skills and Apprenticeships at Amazon, said: “Every year we look forward to recruiting ambitious and enthusiastic apprentices to join our teams working to deliver for customers all over the UK. Whether they’re retraining to begin a new and exciting career, or gaining new skills to take their career in a new direction, we’re proud to provide opportunities for people to find their dream roles.”
The 1,000 new apprenticeships highlight Amazon’s ongoing commitment to creating jobs and training opportunities for people across the UK. Once qualified, apprentices will have the opportunity to work across Amazon’s UK sites including fulfilment centres, delivery stations, sortation centres as well as corporate offices in London and Manchester, and four development centres in Cambridge, Edinburgh, London, and Swansea.
Amazon apprentices work across a wide variety of different schemes in hundreds of teams, from software developers in Prime Video, buyers in fashion, and production in Amazon Studios. This year apprentices could be a solutions architect in Amazon Web Services, a marketer in Amazon Music, or work with cutting-edge technology in operations as an engineer.
Since 2021, Amazon has pledged £8m supporting over 400 SMEs with apprenticeships via the apprenticeship levy transfer service. To date, Amazon has supported over 750 apprentices across a wide range of schemes including adult care, data, dental nurses and broadcast production assistants.
In addition to the apprenticeship schemes, Amazon employees can also take advantage of Amazon’s pioneering Career Choice programme, which pre-pays up to 95% of tuition and fees for courses in high-demand fields, up to £8,000 over four years, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.
Competitive pay, comprehensive benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment is provided for its employees. The roles pay a minimum of £11.80 or £12.50 per hour, rising from April to between £12.30 and £13 per hour, depending on location, and up to £33,500 a year for degree-level apprenticeships. All employees also receive a benefits package that includes private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, and an employee discount – which combined are worth thousands annually – as well as a company pension plan.
Amazon has been named as a ‘Top Employer UK 2024’ by the Top Employer Institute, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management. This award recognises Amazon’s commitment to the development and well-being of its employees. In addition to the UK accolade, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for the second consecutive year. https://www.aboutamazon.co.uk/news/top-employer-2024
Applications are now open for Amazon’s apprenticeship programme. For more information, visit: www.amazonapprenticeships.co.uk
· Fort Kinnaird Recruitment & Skills Centre is hosting a free one-week Retail and Customer Service course for 16- to 24-year-olds, starting on Monday 11th March.
· The course will help participants develop the skills needed for a successful career in retail, as well as giving them the chance to speak directly with Fort Kinnaird employers about current vacancies and opportunities.
· Everyone who completes the course will also receive the Customer Service: Principles and Practices Award at SCQF level 5.
· For more information or to register, individuals should contact the team at enquiries@rscfortkinnaird.co.uk or call 07934485859.
Kenny Hall, Integrated Employer Engagement Manager at Fort Kinnaird Recruitment & Skills Centre, said: “Our Retail and Customer Service course aims to support young people in the local community into roles within the fast-paced, exciting industry that is customer service.
“Not only does the course offer the opportunity to learn new skills and grow in confidence, but those who complete it will take home a formal qualification to set them apart when applying for future roles.”
Liam Smith, Centre Director at Fort Kinnaird, said:“Courses like this one at our Recruitment & Skills Centre are so valuable in helping individuals to grow in confidence and capability.
“It’s also a great opportunity for young people to build their network and meet with retailers from across the centre, so I’d encourage anyone in the local area looking for a new opportunity to get involved and kickstart their next adventure!”
A bold new government-backed review has set out a vision for workplace culture changes to support autistic people to start and stay in work
Review sets out 19 recommendations to support more autistic people to start, stay and succeed in work.
Despite most autistic people wanting to work, just 3 in 10 are currently in employment due to stigma and lack of understanding of their needs.
More neuro-inclusivity in the workplace can help fill vacancies and grow the economy by unlocking the potential of thousands more people.
A bold new government-backed review has set out a vision for workplace culture changes to support autistic people to start and stay in work.
DWP figures show only around 30 percent of working age autistic people are in employment, compared with half of all disabled people and 8 in 10 non-disabled people, despite the majority saying they would like to be employed.
Commissioned by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride and led by Sir Robert Buckland KC, the Review’s 19 recommendations for businesses and government include:
signing up for the Autistica Neurodiversity Employers Index to access guidance on designing inclusive processes and procedures
encouraging career progression by developing packages of training focused on autistic staff
improving recruitment by ensuring careers advisers can provide appropriate advice to autistic jobseekers
supporting autistic people who are already in the workplace by producing “autism design guides” to create appropriate premises, furnishings and equipment
working with software suppliers to develop IT systems that meet autistic people’s needs.
The Buckland Review of Autism Employment was supported by charity Autistica and includes the views of hundreds of employers and autistic people.
It sets out how businesses and government can work together over the next five years – whether that is showcasing the successes of autism employment, developing pilot programmes in national and multinational companies, or providing tailored support for autistic staff at work.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP, said: “I want autistic people to have every opportunity to benefit from work, and recognise that businesses and government must come together if we are to create the cultural change needed to move the dial.
“Backed by the extra employment support provided through our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan, this report provides employers with practical and inexpensive steps to open up workplaces to autistic people, boost employment rates and, above all, change autistic people’s lives.”
Sir Robert Buckland KC MP said: “It has been a tremendous privilege to compile this report, and to hear from hundreds of autistic people about their experiences. This is all about them, and we couldn’t have done it without their help.
“The review can make a truly radical difference to the lives of autistic people and their families. I call on employers and government to lead this change and make these recommendations a reality.”
It is all part of the Government’s long-term plan to build a stronger economy – which has seen unemployment compared to 2010 decline, with four million additional people in work.
The Government has already succeeded in getting one million more disabled people into employment by 2027, five years ahead of schedule, with tailored support helping claimants realise their potential.
Access to Work grants worth up to £66,000 made working easier for nearly 50,000 people last year. The Government’s flagship Universal Support programme is set to provide up to 25,000 people with highly personalised employment support, working closely with employers to navigate any workplace adjustments required to accommodate individual needs.
Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Mims Davies MP, said: “There are so many benefits and positives autistic people can bring to the workplace, and this is matched by what employment can bring to them. We must make sure they get the work opportunities they want and deserve.
“This welcome and important review will help ensure autistic people can thrive and progress in the labour market. I am keen employers get behind these recommendations, and partner with us to truly make our workforce more inclusive and welcoming.”
Minister for Social Care, Helen Whately MP, said: “We want autistic people to have equal opportunities to flourish in society and contribute to the economy.
“For too long there have been too many barriers for them in the workplace; this review is a major step to changing that.
“This builds on our five-year autism strategy and shows our continued commitment to helping autistic people are able to lead happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives.”
The review is the latest milestone in the Government’s mission to make the UK the most accessible place in the world, following the publication of the Disability Action Plan earlier this month, the launch of the Lilac Review, which will investigate the barriers disabled entrepreneurs face, and the longer-term National Disability Strategy, which will transform disabled people’s everyday lives for the better.
It also builds on the Government’s employment and welfare reforms – including the new £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan which will help thousands more disabled people and people with health conditions to start and thrive in work.
Aldi is looking to hire 251 colleagues in Edinburgh & Lothians this year as the company looks to open new stores and update others.
Britain’s fourth largest supermarket is on the lookout for people of all levels of experience to fill roles across the region, with salaries of up to £43,440.
The roles include full and part-time positions such as Store Assistant and Deputy Store Manager, all the way up to Assistant Store Manager.
The recruitment push is part of a nationwide expansion drive, with Aldi pledging to create a total of more than 5,500 new jobs up and down the country in 2024.
Store and Warehouse Assistants at Aldi receive a starting salary of £12.00 rising to £12.95 nationally, while those working within the M25 receive £13.55 rising to £13.85.
Aldi is also the only supermarket to offer paid breaks, which for the average store colleague is worth more than an additional £900 a year.
Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer of Aldi UK, said: “Our colleagues work incredibly hard, and they are without a doubt a huge part of our success at Aldi. We continue to welcome more and more customers to Aldi stores every week, not just because of our unbeatable prices and local sourcing, but also our amazing colleagues.
“We are looking forward to welcoming even more colleagues up and down the country to Team Aldi during 2024 and this is another step in accelerating progress towards our goal of making affordable, quality food accessible to everyone.”
Aldi recently committed to opening 500 more stores across Britain and is investing more than £1.4 billion throughout 2023 and 2024 as it progresses towards hitting this long-term target. This investment includes work to expand its distribution and store network as well as further improving existing stores and technology infrastructure to support growth.
Those interested in applying for a career with Aldi can visit:
NEW ANALYSIS reveals 2 in 3 zero hours contract workers have been with their current employer for over a year
TUC says a ban on zero-hours contracts is “long overdue”
Union body says “employers need to get on board with the New Deal”- following business calls to scale back the package.
The overwhelming majority of zero-hours contract workers are “stuck” on zero hours contracts in the long-term, the TUC has warned.
The union body warns hundreds of thousands of workers are being trapped in low-pay and insecurity, with bad employers “parking workers on zero-hours contracts for years on end”.
The new analysis reveals:
2 in 3 (66%) zero-hours contract workers have been with their current employer for over a year.
Almost half (46%) of zero-hours contract workers have been with their current employer for over 2 years.
Astonishingly, 1 in 8 (12%) zero-hours contract workers have been with their current employer for over 10 years.
Only a minority of zero hours contract workers are on the precarious contracts as a stop gap, temporary measure. Just 7% of zero-hours workers have been with their current employer less than 3 months.
TUC polling in 2021 showed that by far the most important reason that people take zero-hours contract work is because that is the only work available.
Almost half (45%) of respondents said that this was the most important reason for them being on zero-hours contracts while 16% said it was the typical contract in their line of work.
Just 9% cited work-life balance as the most important reason – and the TUC says many in this group would prefer the opportunity to work flexibly within a secure job.
Structural racism in action
The latest available data show there are 1.15 million people on these contracts.
Black and minority ethnic (BME) women are nearly three times as likely to be on zero-hours contracts as white men (6.8% compared to 2.5%),
TUC analysis published in August revealed the number of BME workers in insecure work more than doubled from 2011 to 2022 (from 360,200 to 836,300).
The TUC says this increase in zero-hours contracts for BME workers reflects “structural racism in the jobs market”.
Lack of control
The TUC says zero-hours contracts hand the employer total control over workers’ hours and earning power, meaning workers never know how much they will earn each week, with their income subject to the whims of managers.
The union body argues that this makes it hard for workers to plan their lives, budget and look after their children.
And it makes it harder for workers to challenge unacceptable behaviour by bosses because of concerns about whether they will be penalised by not being allocated hours in future.
Such insecurity can be particularly challenging for those who have caring responsibilities, who are overwhelmingly women, says the TUC.
New deal
The TUC says a ban on zero-hours contracts is “long overdue” – and is calling for all workers to have a right to a contract that reflects their regular hours.
Recent TUC polling revealed 6 in 10 (63%) already support a ban zero-hours contracts – including 60% of Conservative 2019 voters.
Labour is promising a ban on zero-hours contracts as part of its New Deal for Working People – which it says it will deliver with an employment bill in its first 100 days, if elected.
The union body says “employers need to get on board with Labour’s New Deal”- following business calls to scale back the package.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Everyone should be treated fairly at work. But too many workers – especially Black and ethnic minority women – are trapped in low-paid jobs on zero-hours contracts, with few rights and protections and no guarantee of shifts.
“Bad employers are parking workers on zero hours contracts for years on end. It’s not right.
“These precarious contracts hand almost total control over workers’ hours and earning power to managers – making it nigh on impossible to plan budgets and childcare.
“Insecure work has boomed on the Conservatives’ watch over the past 14 years – with the number of workers on zero hours contracts hitting the one million mark.
“That’s why a ban on zero hours contracts is long overdue. Working people should have a right to a contract that reflects their regular hours of work.
“It’s time for a New Deal for Working People, like Labour is proposing – which includes a ban on zero hours contracts, ensuring workers get reasonable notice of shifts and an end to fire and rehire.”
Commenting on reports in The Times on business calls to scale back Labour’s New Deal for Working People, alongside a poll showing the plans are “extremely popular” with the public, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Employers need to get on board with Labour’s New Deal for Working People – and good employers will.
“The UK’s long experiment with a low-rights, low-wage economy is a complete failure. The Tories’ lack of an economic plan for jobs, growth and living standards has cost workers and industry dear.
“Labour’s New Deal for Working People stands in stark contrast to the Conservative’s dire record.
“And it would be good for our economy too. Decent, secure jobs are essential to building a motivated, healthy, innovative workforce – all vital for high productivity growth.”
This blog looked at the ways in which the gap in employment rates between disabled and non-disabled people has changed since 2014, finding that Scotland has lower rates of employment for disabled people compared to the rest of the UK. The gap has been closing more quickly, however.
This initial research led us to a question: why has the gap been closing more quickly? And furthermore, what changes have happened for different groups of people with disabilities?
Our full report, published today, models the reasons behind this change, and explores more detailed statistics on employment differences by type of disability.
Our work is based on a previous report by the DWP which looked at changes in the disability employment gap across the UK.
Some of our key findings include:
The employment rate for disabled people in Scotland has increased by 9 percentage points since 2014. Non-disabled employment rates also increased by 3 percentage points during this time period. This increase in the employment rate has been larger in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK, although the employment rate remains lower.
The employment rate has largely increased due to an increase in disability prevalence (70% of the total change), meaning that this change is primarily due to working people becoming disabled. A small portion of the change (10%) was due to a change in working patterns among disabled people.
On average, Scotland’s disabled working age population grew by about 4.6% each year between 2014 and 2022, while Scotland’s total working age population grew by less than 0.1%
Over half of the change in disability prevalence is due to an increase in reporting mental health-related disabilities and learning difficulties. In 2014, over a third of disabled people in Scotland reported musculoskeletal conditions as their main issue, and around a quarter reported a mental health condition or learning difficulty. These proportions have now switched.
Employment rates for all types of disability have increased since 2014. Musculoskeletal conditions – those affecting arms, legs, feet, neck, and back – had significant increases in employment rates, without significant increases in disability prevalence. By comparison, rates of reported mental illness grew substantially in both employment rates and in total prevalence, although the change in employment outpaced the change in population size.
Disabled people are disproportionately less likely to work in manufacturing; professional, scientific, and technical activities; or construction, and are more likely to work in education, retail, and health and social work.
Seasonal staff should check their pay to make sure they are being paid correctly
Festive workers who may be missing out on the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage are being urged to check their pay.
Seasonal staff and students on short-term contracts over the Christmas period, including those working in shops, hotels, Christmas markets, garden centres, restaurants and warehouses, are legally entitled to the same minimum rates as other workers.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding all workers to check their hourly rate of pay – in particular, looking out for any unpaid working time, such as time spent opening and closing a shop, training, picking up extra shifts and working longer hours. Deductions, for things like uniforms or tools, can also reduce pay rates.
In the 2022 to 2023 tax year, HMRC identified wage arrears of £13.7 million due to more than 108,000 underpaid UK workers.
Marc Gill, HMRC’s Director Individuals and Small Business Compliance, said: “We want to make sure that all workers, including seasonal staff and students, are being paid what they are due this festive period, which is why we are reminding everyone to check their pay.
“People should check their hourly rate and look out for any deductions or unpaid working time. It could take them below the minimum wage.
“HMRC looks into every minimum wage complaint, so if you think you are being short-changed you should get in touch. Don’t lose out – report it.”
The National Minimum Wage hourly rates are currently:
£10.42 – Age 23 and over (National Living Wage)
£10.18 – Age 21 to 22
£7.49 – Age 18 to 20
£5.28 – Age under 18
£5.28 – Apprentice
Anyone not being paid what they are entitled to, or people concerned that someone they know may not be getting paid correctly, can report it online at GOV.UK. It is an easy process that takes around 10 minutes and reports can be made after the employment has ended.
To speak with someone, raise a concern or get further information, people can also phone the Acas Pay and Work Rights helpline on 0300 123 1100 for confidential, free advice (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm). In Northern Ireland contact the Labour Relations Agency.
Employers can access support at any time to ensure they are paying their workers correctly:
view the online employers’ guide on calculating the minimum wage
