Workers in key low-paid sectors feel locked out of decisions over their pay and conditions, with women, young people and zero-hours contract workers especially disempowered

30th May 2026

Just 14 per cent of the lowest paid workers feel they have significant influence over decisions affecting their work, down from 23 per cent in 2001, the Resolution Foundation said (Thursday 28 May 2026), suggesting worker voice has reached a new low point.

Take it or leave it – supported by Unbound Philanthropy – looks at the increasingly important role of individual worker power in the wake of the four-decade decline in collective bargaining. The report draws on a survey of 2,000 employees in hospitality, cleaning, and warehousing, three low-paid sectors that employ 7 per cent of the workforce, to understand the extent to which workers feel they have a say over their pay and job conditions.

Despite an overwhelming majority (86 per cent) of these workers wanting more agency over how their pay is set, more than half (55 per cent) of those surveyed reported that their pay was either determined unilaterally by their employer or by the minimum wage or real Living Wage, or both, leaving them with no influence over the rate they receive.

Surprisingly, groups who typically have less power in the labour market were also less inclined to want further involvement. 80 per cent of younger workers (aged under 35), 78 per cent of women, and 73 per cent of those on zero-hours contracts said they would like more say over their pay. Follow-up in-depth interviews with individual workers suggested the cause was a deeper pessimism about the possibility of workplace dynamics ever shifting in their favour.

Workers in these three low-paid sectors often felt they had little scope to act. Just over one-third (38 per cent) said they would push back, either individually or with colleagues, if they felt their pay was unfair. But at the other end of the spectrum, a similar share (34 per cent) said they either did not know what they would do, or would do nothing at all.

Again, some groups of workers were more reticent to take action than others: just 4 per cent of women said they would negotiate their pay individually, and 10 per cent of those on zero-hour contracts said the same, compared to 15 per cent of all workers.

Interviewees also highlighted their limited voice over non-pay conditions, such as flexibility around shift patterns. These often depended on individual line managers, and workers experienced substantial inconsistency between how accommodating different managers were prepared to be.

Added to this, many low-paid workers do not feel able to exercise power by simply leaving their current role. Three-fifths (62 per cent) of cleaning, hospitality and warehousing workers said they would find it difficult or impossible to find another similarly paid job in their local area, rising to over seven-in-ten (73 per cent) younger workers, and eight-in-ten (83 per cent) of those on zero-hours contracts. Interviews suggest this reflected a perception of strong competition for the roles that were available, and a sense of caution in the face of economic uncertainty.

The pessimism and disempowerment expressed by workers in low-paid sectors show the importance of legislation like the Employment Rights Act 2025 in offering protection where workers lack the power to shape their own terms and conditions. The Government should look to the Fair Pay Agreement currently being set up in social care as a model for sectors such as cleaning and warehousing.

But policy and practice can also play a role. Given the importance of line managers in setting non-pay conditions, employers and employer groups can lead on improving management practices through providing training and support.

Hannah Slaughter, Principal Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said:

“When it comes to addressing unfair pay and improving their work conditions, workers in low-paying sectors feel like they have little voice at work. Women, young people, and those on zero-hours contracts feel especially exposed and our interviews suggest many workers simply don’t believe things can change.

“Some have suggested that the Employments Rights Act goes too far, but the experiences of workers in low-paid and precarious employment show that improving workers’ rights is likely a long journey. The Act is an important step, but it should be the beginning, not the end, of strengthening individual and collective worker power.

“The Government should follow the model of social care and begin work on Fair Pay Agreements for areas such as warehousing and cleaning to give workers a collective voice to shape sector-wide pay and conditions.”