Report: Examining Hard Work: Life in Low-Pay and Its Impact

This report provides a comprehensive review of Polly Toynbee's 'Hard Work: Life in Low-Pay.' It begins with an introduction to the book, highlighting its focus on the moral failings of capitalism and the plight of the working poor in Britain. The report then delves into the context of the book, discussing the social and political climate of the time and the author's methodology, which involved firsthand experiences in low-wage jobs. It examines the book's content, including its analysis of poverty, minimum wages, and the challenges faced by workers. The report also explores the legacy of the book and its impact on societal perspectives, concluding with a summary of the key findings and arguments presented by Toynbee. The report emphasizes the book's role in challenging societal values and advocating for fair wages and economic stability. It also highlights the ethical issues related to the theme of the book.

Reading Modern
Society

Contents
1. Introduction..............................................................................................................................3
2. Context of the Book.................................................................................................................3
3. The Author...............................................................................................................................4
4. The background and perspective.............................................................................................4
5. Methodology and Methods......................................................................................................5
6. The book itself.........................................................................................................................5
7. The legacy of the book............................................................................................................7
8. Conclusion...............................................................................................................................7
9. References................................................................................................................................8

1. Introduction
Hard Work: Life in Low-Pay is a book given by a British journalist Polly Toynbee in
2003. This book has a focus on the moral failings of the capitalism and Toynbee advocates for
those who work hard for earning moral pay. The author has used a vivid image in order to
enlighten the plight of poor in our population (Shildrick and MacDonald, 2012). Toynbee have
challenged the society into bringing equality in the equal pay for the diversified jobs performed
by an individual. This report will emphasize on the hard work and the moral pay in the society. It
will cover the overview of the above mentioned book and the situation of the poor in our society.
Also, it will bring out the social methodologies of the author for this research and the ethical
issues associated with the theme of the book. This book will present the perspectives of the
society in relation with the less pay offered to a hard working individual. At that time the author
has taken many small jobs in council housing estate in Clappham Park in order to achieve their
research objective (Gregory and Milner, 2011). The methods used in the investigation of the
main concept is their own perspective observation and the experiences of himself after living
with a minimum wage job. Toynbee have used the experiences in order to questions the values of
the society. This report will cover the influence of the book on the perspective of the society.
2. Context of the Book.
Hard Work: Life in Low-Pay was written in 2003 when there was a situation of poverty
being faced by the society. The question of earning for the living have emerged for an individual.
At that time the social and political situation of Britain was not so good. The author has taken up
a challenge to experience the situation of the poverty and explain it in front of society through
this novel. The perception of the society was that being female is the major cause of poverty.
Also, at that time there was no distribution of earnings (D’Arcy, 2018). Those who were
employed in public sector are able to pay living wages while on the other hand those who were
employed in private sector are exploited at low wages. Moreover, the government have adopted
tax benefit system in order to reduce inequality at that time. This book was a genre of “A
working Life” book which is also based on the life of individual in the working environment. But
the government approach is not a solution of the problems of poverty and low pay. This book
involves the major challenges that comes across the workers in while earning for their living. In
relation to this the aim of the Author is to free 30% of the society from the trap of poverty. The

message of this novel is to pay the poor more and the rich less in order to maintain economic
stability.
3. The Author.
Polly Toynbee is a passionate author who have lived the cruelties of the poor and shared
her perspective in the breath-taking book. She is a journalist and a broadcaster who have focused
on the experiences of the unavoidable problems of the poverty in the British life (Whittaker and
Hurrell, 2013). The author has lived the life and literally wore torn clothes and done poor jobs in
order to understand their situations effectively. The decent wage rate by council was £7.39. But
people are working at a wage rate of £4.10 per hour. Then also, their faces and situation are
unnoticed by the society and their voices are unheard by the government authorities. Toynbee
have taken jobs which have offered less than the minimum wage rate but she took up in order to
avoid unemployment. But the situation of starvation has sometimes surrounded her and questions
her ability that she is not worth for a job. The author has uncovered the inside journey of the
Polly Toynbee in the Britain life which is reflected with the help of powerful and compelling
book. This book damning portrait of the social justice in Britain.
4. The background and perspective
The book was writing in 17th century and the main reason behind writing the book was
poverty. The poverty is like a disease and those who are not caught have lucky stars this was
believed by author (Corlett and Whittaker, 2014). Also, the author was also caught in debt that is
why he wrote this book out 0of his experience. At that time Britain was in bad condition and
people were paid low wages, the conditions were worst. There was no pleasant factor, people
were facing so many health related issues. people were working hard but were unable to get
proper wages, that was a bad sign for them, they were changing jobs and finding new to get
minimum wages so they could live a better life and come out of the trap of poverty. People were
not happy and there were problems that they were facing.
Author herself was experiencing the same thing she was part of this poverty and she
worked with many jobs so as to get minimum wages but was unable to and in the book she has
shared her experience and talked about t5hwe situation on Britain at that time. The jobs that they
were getting were for short term that is for a week and so that was also problematic for them.
Yes, the book was commissioned and the author wants to share her experience and that was the
reason behind this book. Then she understood that illiteracy would lead them to go down in this

poverty so she studied the way she can and took basic education (Warren, 2016). As she
understood that she is not made for doing all these cheap and low wage jobs. The book is all
about herb experience.
5. Methodology and Methods
Based on the investigation done on Hard Work: Life in Low-Pay Britain by Polly
Toynbee, it is found that British Journalist have utilised both mixed methodology (Qualitative
and Quantitative). Where, journalist have taken into consideration of a vivid image, which has
helped into describing the plight of the poor in the selected population (Heap, 2014).
On the other hand, if it is talked about the particular approach, that has been taken into
consideration then it is descriptive research methodology approach. In this context, journalist
kept her focus on this approach, because it is mandatory to present a detailed description in front
of others and considering this particular methodology has helped in identifying the
characteristics of different range of problem linking to this one particular aspect through
description. Also, it can be said that data that has been taken into consideration is produced
considering both secondary and primary data, which would aid in collecting information in
relation with hard work.
There are a range of ethical issues, which are specifically being considered as something that
may create issues for the investigator like some of the information may hit the targets in a
different way.
6. The book itself
“Hard Work: Life in Low-Pay Britain” is the book that written by Polly Toynbee which
focuses on minimum wages of people. She is just focusing on moral pays that she was not
getting at that time when Britain facing economic issues (Smith and McBride, 2020). She had
been focusing on minimum wages related issue that affect the living standard of person. In this
book, she gave a quote i.e. “Come away; poverty's catching” that is the state of mind of the poor
people that they face in those times. It refers to person who are struggling from poverty so that
they know the expansiveness of poor. It is the state in which poor people get poorer that really
increase the hardest situation of life. This books shows the data of economic conditions in which
she explained how person can live with low wage rate. From her book, it is found that 50% of
population stayed in absolute poverty that means they face a very critical and hard situation on
that time. On that time per capita income become less than $1 US a day that shows the intensity

of poorness in countries. It is analysed that in UK the rate of low wage gets double, it means that
it increases the poverty more in which one of three child cover under poverty between 1970 and
1980 (Bennett, 2014).
Poverty increase the difficulties for people as it rises many problems such as related to
health sector, living standard, basic necessity, etc. It is very obvious that to survive on earth basic
and minimum nutrition is needed for individual person. Because without nutrition individual
person cannot survive for long period. But poverty could not give minimum nutrition to
individual because they were not able to afford food for their health and fitness. This state
occurred due to minimum wage rate in economy that could not give much money that help to
afford basic necessities for themselves. In this book, she wrote that one in five workers the basic
pay of individual person was less than £6 per hour, or £240 a week. It shows the impact of
minimum wage rate of individual person. It also analysed that many of workers are women that
become slave of anyone person. That really worst for women that they got misbehaviour from
other person even they did their duties well. To experience that situation, she moved in worst
accommodation for experiencing the problems and difficulties of individuals. She was stayed in
minimum wage rate so that she can experience in practical that what type of difficulties faced by
people (Webster, 2013).
It is analysed that people performed their job role and duties but still they didn't get much
wages that they deserved. It became the major problem for people that they give their best and
still they didn't get as much as they deserved. She faces many problem as like people face in
minimum wage rate such as shelter, food, etc. She out herself from social exclusions that she
lives without families and friends. It is analysed that due to minimum wage rate people face
problems like very dull food sue to lack of funds. They didn't bear very high quality of food
products. She left her good job and doing job at the place in which she gets very low wage rate.
She faced insecurities because she had not fixed and good locality that give security to her. This
books give the brief knowledge that include all circumstances that people face during poverty. It
rally become stressful for government that they should focus on poverty sectors that they convert
their states with the rise in their wage rate. If wage rate rise than people can afford some basic
necessities that increase the standard of living.
In this books, the author found that conspiratorial democracy of minimum wages that
means the people got wrong wages. It means that they are not getting right wages according to

their skills and not match with their roles and responsibility. This book gives the knowledge of
unfair wage rate that ruin the people's life. It is the responsibility of government that they should
focuses on increasing in minimum wage rate so that people can afford their basic necessities. It
also affects the economy of organisation as it increasing the poverty line that shows negative side
of countries (Chandra, 2012).
7. The legacy of the book
The book showed the condition of people working bin Britain at that time and they were
paid low wages. The time when this book was published people were able to relate them with the
book and were able to understand the feelings. People found it relatable and were getting
inspiration from the author (Fletcher, 2013). The situation was bad and by reading one that is not
facing the situation could also understand that hoe the people at time were caught in poverty and
were working so hard but then too they were unable to get out of the trap they were in, the
workers were unable to get long term jobs and were getting jobs for a period of 1-day top a week
that was also problematic for them. The book influenced the people and they were able to know
about the situation. The book shows the pain that was faced by people at that time and how they
came out of all that. Presently the condition is good and people are unable to relate but they try to
understand the situation and know about the history and what the people have come through.
This book is totally based on the experience of people at that time and how they were working
hard and unable to get jobs (Lyonette, 2015).
8. Conclusion
From the book Hard Work: Life in Low-Pay Britain by Polly Toynbee, it can be
concluded that the condition of Britain was bad at that time and were facing poverty. The
employees were working hard and were unable to earn. The author herself faced the same thing
and was caught in the trap of poverty. She worked with all dedication and hard work to earn and
get money that she can live happy life, but due to the economic condition and the situation of the
place. Then she understood that she needs to be literate and then she worked and took lessons so
as to be able to compete and come out of that poverty that is faced by her and the family. The
book is based on the experience of author and the way she became successful.

9. References
Books and Journals
Shildrick, T. and MacDonald, R., 2012. Poverty and insecurity: Life in low-pay, no-pay Britain.
Policy Press.
D’Arcy, C., 2018. Low Pay Britain 2018. Resolution Foundation.
Whittaker, M. and Hurrell, A., 2013. Low Pay Britain 2013. London: Resolution Foundation.
Corlett, A. and Whittaker, M., 2014. Low Pay Britain 2014. Resolution Foundation.
Heap, D., 2014. Poverty and insecurity: life in low-pay, no-pay Britain.
Smith, A. and McBride, J., 2020. ‘Working to Live, Not Living to Work’: Low-Paid Multiple
Employment and Work–Life Articulation. Work, Employment and Society,
p.0950017020942645.
Bennett, F., 2014. The ‘living wage’, low pay and in work poverty: Rethinking the
relationships. Critical Social Policy, 34(1), pp.46-65.
Webster, C.S., 2013. The Inaugural Lecture of Professor Colin Webster-Poverty and insecurity:
Decrying and devaluing life and work in low-pay, no-pay Britain.
Chandra, V., 2012. Work–life balance: eastern and western perspectives. The International
Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(5), pp.1040-1056.
Lyonette, C., 2015. Part-time work, work–life balance and gender equality. Journal of Social
Welfare and Family Law, 37(3), pp.321-333.
Fletcher, D.R., 2013. Book review–Poverty and insecurity: Life in low-pay, no-pay
Britain. People, Place, 7(2).
Warren, T., 2016. Work-life balance and class: in search of working class work-lives. Taylor &
Francis (Routledge).
Gregory, A. and Milner, S., 2011. Fathers and work‐life balance in France and the UK: policy
and practice. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.