Young people — school and work

Paid work is playing an increasingly important role in the lives of young people. Teachers are concerned by the affect that work has on their students' performance and the broader issue of workplace fairness. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, approximately 53 per cent of young people at school have jobs. Teachers acknowledge the significant challenge for students to balance competing demands in their lives. The nature of work in Australia has changed radically in the past 25 years. From a situation where students were more or less confined to Saturday morning and Thursday evening work, the economy has shifted to a 24 hour, seven day a week service economy, with enormous growth particularly in the retail and hospitality sectors. Nearly half (46 per cent) of working students are employed in these sectors. The report You're gold...if you're fifteen years old undertaken by Think Insight and Advice shows that since WorkChoices was introduced, the pressure is on for the youngest of the students to work more hours, and that older workers often experience reduced shift availability, particularly in the more anti-social late night and weekend (Sunday) shifts, for which older students still receive penalty rates and mandated meal breaks, and which younger (post-WorkChoices) employees do not. Students are aware of employer motivation to hire younger workers, and can articulate the fact that there is pressure to work longer hours than their older counterparts.

Student A (younger student): "I've been told that I am cheap; that's why I get so many hours. So, they use the youngest ones possible."

Student B (older student): "They can't really fire us so they just make life hard for you. So they say 'Work these hours.' But if you can't, any time you miss three shifts, they can get rid of you. So, they will give you the three worst shifts and make sure you can't swap 'em. So when you don't show, they can fire you. So, that way they can get some new people. They make you fire yourself."

Young workers are by and large very enthusiastic about work, and report many advantages to working part-time. This can blind some to the possibility of exploitation, and cause others to overlook what they can see as blatantly unfair practices. They report having scant knowledge of the rules governing the workplace, which combined with little formal introduction to the workplaces (to the extent that many are not aware of their rate of pay until receiving their first pay cheque) and overlaid with WorkChoices, contributes to confusion of young workers about many aspects of work and workplaces. Fewer than one-in-five (17 per cent) NSW year 10, 11 or 12 students are members of a union. Students in non-metropolitan areas are more likely (24 per cent versus 13 per cent) to be so.

Negotiation between employers and employees is rarely an option for young workers, as the "reserve army" of younger students is always coming through to replace those unhappy with conditions. Contracts are presented on a "take-it-or-leave-it" basis. Whilst some students may feel they are underpaid or being taken advantage of, they are not in a position to query this, and for many it is an unthinkable proposition. As well, for many, the non-monetary aspects of work (development of enhanced communication and life skills, along with career experience and managing increased responsibility) are cited as better reasons to work than money.

Of working students surveyed in years 10, 11 and 12, 50 per cent work 10 or more hours a week. There is little difference between students who live in metropolitan and non metropolitan areas in terms of the percentage working those hours. Worryingly, students themselves report a strong correlation between longer and later hours at work and poor performance at school. Students who work the most hours are most likely to go to school feeling tired, fail to complete homework and assignments and say that part-time work negatively impacts on their overall school performance. Approximately one-quarter (28 per cent) of all working students are working school nights after 7pm (not necessarily the same students every night). Once having entered the workforce, students have an appetite for trusted sources of information about pay rates and conditions. Parents/caregivers are the most likely source, but teachers are seen to be unbiased and professional in the advice that they offer. While awareness and understanding of unions is not high, students overall are well-disposed towards them and see unions as a positive influence in the workplace.

The Teachers Federation, as a union of professionals working with young people, has a commitment to a future that is fair for all students. The student/teacher relationship is unique, and significant. Students report that they trust and value the information from and support of teachers. The Federation has a unique role as potentially the first union with which young people have contact. Teachers cannot speak for young people, but they have a responsibility to help students shape their collective future. Young people have considerable ability to deal successfully with a rapidly changing world, and as the research study shows, they can articulate their views about that world. The working students interviewed and surveyed report almost universally an adeptness with modern technology, and a high level of engagement with it.

Action

Federation will build upon the work begun through the 2000 Annual Conference decision Our Students, Our Future -- A Policy to Support Young People, and in responding to the findings of You're Gold... by:
supporting students and their parents/caregivers with information and resources to help them balance school and work

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Last Modified: 30 Aug 2007