Hannah Slaughter

No shame, no gain? • Resolution Foundation This briefing note is part of a three-year programme of research exploring labour market enforcement generously funded by Unbound Philanthropy. In it, we combine qualitative and quantitative research ...

Reputational levers like naming rounds should of course be accompanied by financial penalties - but they are a useful part of the enforcement toolkit, and it's welcome that the Government is trying to leverage them to greater effect. www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

Rogue bosses face tougher 'naming and shaming' over minimum wage breaches ROGUE bosses are set for more regular “naming and shaming” to ensure they pay national minimum wage workers the full amount.  Businesses breaking the rules will have no hiding place in a gover…

Good to see this story over the weekend that the Government is doubling down on 'naming and shaming' employers who have been found to underpay the minimum wage. Our past research has shown that reputational concerns can help convince employers to play by the rules. www.thesun.co.uk/money/374030...

Today’s labour market statistics show that the labour market is weakening on multiple fronts, with unemployment reaching 5 per cent for the first time in almost a decade (pandemic period aside).

Here’s our @resolutionfoundation.org thread, from @nyecominetti.bsky.social and me.

Rare opportunity. We are currently recruiting for a member of our senior leadership team to take forward our work on productivity and growth. Do get in touch if interested. www.resolutionfoundation.org/about-us/opp...

Enforce for good • Resolution Foundation This report concludes a four-year work programme at the Resolution Foundation supported by Unbound Philanthropy exploring the what, why and how of labour market enforcement. We bring together data and...

But the real test will be whether the FWA has sufficient resources to do its job effectively. For more on what an enforcement system that protects workers and supports economic growth should look like, read our report here: www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

New agency chair appointed to crack down on minimum wage underpayment and worker exploitation Matthew Taylor to lead Government's new Fair Work Agency from April 2026.

The creation of the Fair Work Agency (FWA) is a welcome step. It will mean better coordination across the enforcement system, a clear point of contact for workers and employers alike, and more rights (e.g. holiday pay) enforced by the state. www.gov.uk/government/n...

But we concluded that naming alone isn't enough. Many of those employers who might be tempted to flout the rules are far more motivated by the threat of financial penalties – and a scheme like this only works if the underpayment is uncovered in the first place, which requires proactive inspections.

No shame, no gain? • Resolution Foundation This briefing note is part of a three-year programme of research exploring labour market enforcement generously funded by Unbound Philanthropy. In it, we combine qualitative and quantitative research ...

The naming scheme is an important enforcement tool. Our research has found that for employers tempted to cut corners, the fear of the reputational hit from being named can deter them from doing so. www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

Distribution of average arrears owed per worker by employers named in minimum wage underpayment naming round 22: UK, October 2025

The employers named today cover household names like Go Outdoors and Holland & Barrett as well as small local businesses. And the scale of underpayment also varies, from tens to thousands of pounds per worker: at the extreme end, four employers short-changed one of their workers by over £10,000.

£6 million repaid to workers as Government cracks down on employers underpaying their staff Nearly 500 employers fined over £10 million for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage

Today the govt has named nearly 500 employers for underpaying the minimum wage. This an important tool for enforcing workers' rights - but needs to sit alongside proactive inspections and a well-resourced Fair Work Agency. Thread below... www.gov.uk/government/n...

Today’s data show that a weakening jobs market is feeding through into pay. Depressing stat of the day: real weekly wages have increased by just £1.50 since Sep 2024. Here is our thread (from me and @hannahslaughter.bsky.social).

An advert for job roles open at the Resolution Foundation for economists and researchers.

📢 Only a few days left to apply!

Applications for all three of our roles are closing first thing on Friday morning.

Find out more and apply now ➡️ buff.ly/GPBwRkS

Today’s ONS data show a labour market continuing to cool, but there are signs of calming after a jobs crunch in the first part of 2025. Here is our thread (fom me and @charliemccurdy.bsky.social)

Standout stat if you can't make it to the end: real wages haven't grown since October

We're hiring for *three* roles in the RF research team, at a range of levels from entry to experienced. Deadline for all three is 19th September. More details in the link below 👇

An advert for job roles open at the Resolution Foundation for economists and researchers.

📣Ready for your next step? We're hiring for three exciting roles! 📣

Find out more and apply now ➡️ buff.ly/GPBwRkS

There are a few jobs going in the RF research team - more info here: www.resolutionfoundation.org/about-us/opp...

📣 New research published today! 📣

Our analysis reveals that multiple indicators suggest greater slack in the labour market than pre-pandemic and last year.

Read in full here 👉 buff.ly/a9SnWhw

📣 We're hiring! 📣

Do you have an interest in the economic and social policy of the UK and an eye for detail?

Find out more about joining our team as a Researcher ⤵️ buff.ly/EmREN1c

Today’s labour market statistics show that the jobs market is continuing to loosen, with jobs, vacancies and pay growth all weakening.

Our @resfoundation.bsky.social take, from myself and @hannahslaughter.bsky.social, is below...

Opening doors • Resolution Foundation Improving employment outcomes for disabled people is essential not just for raising living standards, but also for supporting economic growth. To increase the employment of disabled people, the report...

How can we support employers to hire and retain disabled staff?

@benbgeiger.bsky.social and I explore this question, and set out four concrete policy proposals, in a new @resfoundation.bsky.social report out today: www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

Don't forget about us • Resolution Foundation This briefing note combines quantitative data with insights from focus groups to explore how disabilities and caring responsibilities affect these families’ lives and living standards.

Debates on disability are increasingly polarised, esp on benefits – but the reality is that disability and caring responsibilities shape life for millions of low-to-middle income families, and policymakers shouldn’t forget that. Read the full report here: www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

Finally, our report mainly focuses on living standards, but public services matter too. As well as reviewing formal social care (which an independent govt review is doing), local authorities should restore support for carers such as respite care, which has been cut by £84m since the mid-2010s.

The Carer’s Allowance cliff edge (which the Government is currently reviewing) should be replaced with an earnings taper, and the carer’s element of Universal Credit should be increased to match the health element.

How can policy help? On paid work, the Employment Rights Bill will particularly benefit disabled people and carers, given they’re more likely than other groups to be in insecure work, but the Govt should also bring in paid carer’s leave so more carers can stay in work.

Proportion of working-age adults in material deprivation, by benefit received: UK, 2023-24

“It is a bit of a head mess, to be quite honest, the benefit system. … The headache that they put people through, like who – when you’re actually going through the stress of it all, who’s even got the time or the mental capability to even go through another form?” (Focus group participant with physical and mental health conditions)

The system’s baffling. Nobody really has got the time to sit down and do it. … It’s a full-time job in itself just doing all the paperwork, basically.” (Focus group participant caring for disabled adult child)

Benefits are vital, but often fail to adequately protect living standards. 70%+ of people receiving the health and care elements of Universal Credit face material deprivation, people lose Carer’s Allowance entirely once they earn >£196 a week, and the system can be complex for claimants to navigate.

Proportion of employed people on a flexible contract, working in the gig economy or solo self-employed in low-to-middle income households (left panel) and higher-income households (right panel), by whether individual is disabled or a carer: UK, 2022-2023

“Yeah, I get flexibility. But the thing is, I don’t really get like extra benefits. I don’t get no annual leave, I don’t, I don’t get sick pay, so if I’m unwell, I’ll have to just have unpaid leave.” (Self-employed focus group participant caring for disabled parent and two children)

“There’s no sick pay … none of that kind of stuff. … The times I’ve had to take off, even if it’s one day, it does make a difference. … You do worry in the background, having to take time off because of that financial impact.” (Self-employed focus group participant with mental health conditions)

To get the flexibility they need, disabled people and carers often turn to flexible contracts, self-employment and the gig economy. But these can come with downsides such as unpredictable hours and a lack of sick pay.

“There have been times when I’ve kind of just, you know, come to a wall … and taken off, you know, however much time off.” (Focus group participant, self-employed part time, with a mental health condition)

“I got a job more locally and it was working part time, four days a week, so it gave [my wife] some comfort that if I, if something happened, I would be able to get to her.” (Focus group participant, working part time, caring for disabled partner)

“[My health condition] would affect [me] if I was working with the public. You need to be fully on form, don’t you? And I’m just, one day I’m on, then I’m off.” (Focus group participant, not in paid work, with mental and physical health conditions)

Proportion of working-age disabled people and people caring for someone in their household in low-to-middle income families who report selected limitations to the paid work they can do: UK, 2022-2023

One reason is limitations on paid work – and this extends beyond not being able to work at all. For example, 58% of disabled workers say their physical health limits the kind of work they can do, and 41% of working carers have had to cut their hours due to caring.

Annual difference in equivalised household income compared to families with neither a disabled person nor a carer, after controlling for selected demographic and family characteristics, by whether the family includes a disabled person or a carer: UK, 2023-24

Disability and caring can come with a big living standards penalty. Families with both a disabled member and a carer have a £3,300 income gap compared to similar families with neither, rising to £7,600 if we strip out disability benefits that just cover extra costs rather than replace income.

Proportion of working-age adults who are disabled or are caring for someone who is ill, disabled or elderly for at least five hours a week, and proportion of families with a disabled member or a carer, by household income: UK, 2023-24

Disability and caring often overlap. Overall, just over a third of adults in low-to-middle income families are disabled or a carer, and 4% (800k people) are both. 43% of low-to-middle income families (5.6m) include a carer or a disabled person, and 9% of these families (1.0m) include both.

Proportion of working-age adults who are caring for a sick, disabled or elderly person for at least five hours a week, by income group: UK

Caring responsibilities are also more common among low-to-middle income families. 1 in 10 working-age adults in low-to-middle income families provide 5+ hours a week of unpaid care, with women and older working-age adults most likely to be carers.