New research from the charity Young Women’s Trust uncovers the toxic reality of insecure work with young women feeling trapped (33%), facing discrimination (67%), and they’re having to put up with unsafe working environments (37%) and sexual harassment (26%) because they worry they won’t get the hours they need if they call it out.
The report comes as the charity is urging government to make sure that plans to strengthen workers’ rights with a ban on exploitative zero hours contracts – as outlined in the Employment Rights Bill – are accompanied by the resources to properly promote and enforce these rights.
Young women are more exposed to the challenges of insecure work because they’re more likely to enter the industries that use it [1]. They’re also paid less than men in insecure jobs[2]. On top of this, there’s a ‘sticky floor’ effect whereby young women feel trapped and unable to leave – almost 3 in 10 (27%) said that they don’t feel confident enough to move out of insecure work when they want or need to. Many also cited the lack of opportunities to develop their skills leaving them feeling ill equipped to find permanent employment.
Unfair and illegal practices are rife in insecure work full stop with young women reporting that they:
- Had worked more hours than contracted/agreed to (54%)
- Had been employed without a contract (43%).
- Half (50%) had not received pay when off sick.
- Had been paid late or at inconsistent times (43%)
- Worked free trial shift(s) (44%)
- Had been given little notice of changes to shifts including cancellations (less than a week’s notice: 65%, less than 24 hours notice: 49%)
- Had been paid cash in hand (39%)
- Had been paid less than minimum wage (33%)
These practices often go unchallenged as young women said that they either don’t know their rights at work at all (48%), don’t know where to find the information about their rights (45%), and even when they did, they didn’t feel comfortable raising issues in their workplace (47%). Young women also said that they didn’t want to challenge these issues because they didn’t want to lose out on shifts, or it wasn’t worth their time and energy. Some who tried to report issues couldn’t navigate the pathways to do so, or found that nothing happened as a result.
Whilst insecure work can be damaging for everyone, the research also found that there are gender disparities that leave young women short changed compared to men in terms of pay, hours available and flexibility:
- Young women in insecure work are working fewer hours than young men – 25% worked 8 hours or less per week compared to 15% of young men – leaving them less well off.
- They’re also paid less per hour: 31% of young women reported being paid up to £10 an hour, compared to 22% of young men. This is likely to be because the sectors women are more likely to work in are lower paid e.g. retail and hospitality.
- On the other extreme, young women are more at risk of burnout and exhaustion with over half of young women (54%) working more hours than they were contracted to compared to 48% of young men.
When asked why they turned to insecure work in the first place, young women said that they felt forced because of their needs (48%). They also said:
- They needed to find work quickly (30%).
- It was to support their financial needs (27%).
- There was nothing else available (23%).
The impact on young women’s lives is striking with 2 in 5 (40%) saying that their mental health got worse whilst working in insecure work. For some young women it also negatively impacted their confidence (27%), their self belief (27%) and their wellbeing at work (32%).
Raven Dixon-Biggs has been in insecure work from the age of 19. She says: “I have worked in various types of insecure work and, for me, it’s really felt like an uphill struggle. In my first role, with a well established retailer, my line manager was inappropriate with other female staff members and he discriminated against me because of my race. Because my contract wasn’t secure he was able to demote me overnight, slashing my hours to barely nothing and ultimately, I felt I had no choice but to leave.
“After that experience I got stuck in various contracts that, despite one lasting for over a year, offered no stability. My mental health was not in a good way and I never knew whether I’d be earning £100 or £300 each week. I also worked in promotions at a large Vape exhibition and it was scary how we were expected to wear barely any clothes. It was simple, if you didn’t agree to look a certain way you didn’t get the hours. Fortunately I was able to turn this one down but so many other young girls didn’t have a choice. Getting paid on time was also an issue here as legally companies can leave it up to 8 weeks to pay out. It’s crazy that in 2025, as young women, we’re being exploited, not paid on time and are at the mercy of line mangers. There’s a massive power imbalance that needs to be fixed.”
Claire Reindorp, Chief Executive at Young Women’s Trust, said: “At work we should all expect to be safe, paid a fair wage, and treated with respect. It’s clear that’s very far from a reality for many young women in insecure work, who are facing discrimination, sexual harassment, and unpredictable work schedules – leaving them with precarious finances and poor mental health. And there’s a very real ‘sticky floor’ in this type of work. It’s not just a stopgap – young women can easily get trapped there. The evidence is clear that young women in this type of work can feel stuck, powerless and exhausted.
“When the Employment Rights Bill comes into force, bans on exploitative contracts must be backed by the resources needed to enforce it properly. Even the rights they have now are largely being flouted, as with complicated reporting pathways, a lack of education about worker’s rights and the very real power imbalance in workplaces, rogue employers can get away with it – whilst those that want to do the right thing are undercut.”
Read the full report here.
Ends/
Notes to editors
For more information or interviews please contact:
Hayley Richardson-Roberts, Communication Lead:
07495 981142 / [email protected]
Survey methodology
Young Women’s Trust commissioned an external research partner, Censuswide, to conduct the quantitative survey. In total, 1,004 young women and non-binary people and 1,006 young men aged 18-30 living in England and Wales with experience of working in insecure roles within the last five years were surveyed. In addition, 45 young women and non-binary people participated in a qualitative research including 2 in-person focus groups in London and Birmingham, an online discussion forum, voice note submissions and remote interviews.
About Young Women’s Trust:
Young Women’s Trust champions young women aged 18 to 30 on low or no pay. We’re here to create a more equal world of work and raise young women’s incomes.
We offer young women free coaching, feedback on job applications and information to help them get where they want to be. We bring together a thousands-strong network to support each other, build their self-belief, and have their voices heard. We work with young women and anyone who experiences misogyny and sexism to campaign for equality in the workplace. And our research provides insight into what young women’s lives are really like, fuelling our campaigns for change.
[1] According to Young Women’s Trust report, 24% of young women are working on insecure contracts in hospitality compared to 12% of young men and 13% in health and social care compared to 8% of young men.
[2] In retail, young women are earning much less with 38% saying that they earned less than £10 per hour, compared to just 21% of young men.
