Report: Examining Poverty and Low Wage in Modern Britain: 'Hard Work'

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Polly Toynbee's book, "Hard Work: Life in Low-pay Britain," focusing on the experiences of low-wage workers and the realities of poverty in modern society. The report examines the book's context, the author's background and perspective, and the methodologies employed, particularly the use of mixed methods research. It explores Toynbee's observations of minimum wage jobs, the ethical considerations raised, and the book's impact on understanding social and economic inequality. The report highlights the author's experiences, the challenges faced by essential workers, and the broader implications for social mobility and economic exclusion. It also discusses the limitations of the book, such as the author's privileged background, and concludes with an assessment of the book's legacy in addressing issues of low pay and social injustice. The report also reviews the book's methodology including qualitative and quantitative data and presents the advantages and disadvantages of mixed data.

Reading Modern Society

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Context of book............................................................................................................................3
About author................................................................................................................................3
Methodology................................................................................................................................4
Book itself....................................................................................................................................5
Book legacy..................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
INTRODUCTION
The selected book is “Hard work: Life in low pat Britain” which is written by Polly
Tonybee. This book consists of theory which focuses on minimum wage. The author went to
council housing estate and took different kinds of job like telemarketer, hospital porter, cake
packer etc. author believes that those workers should have received more than just only pay as
they are the essential jobs which makes them essential workers (Yao and et.al., 2017). He said
that when respect and moral value will be given to those essential workers then they will not
leave their jobs. Author uses various theories to describe the condition of poor which are present
in the population. Author claims that economic exclusion means no entry signal for normal
pleasure of life. He further says that there are lack of choices when it comes to health factors
which includes nutrition and lifestyle. Author found out that there are moral inequality in the
society.

MAIN BODY
Context of book
Hard work: life of low pay Britain is written in 2003 by Polly Toynbee. In that time
people were paid very less. The title of book itself reveals that although employees are working
hard but they are paid less. This is not acceptable because if the people is working hard then they
should have receive pay according to that. Author said that poverty has became bad reality of
our society, he even calls poverty a disease. Between 1970 to 1990 it has observed that low
income people got doubled in UK and it has observed that out of every three children one is
living in poverty (Hard Work: Life in Low-pay Britain., 2019).
At that time people were also not having skills so that they can do multiple jobs and earn more.
Back in those times culture also did not allow women or girls to go and work outside. So that is
why it can said that dependents are more in the family and independents are very less. It is seen
that in majority family only elder males are going outside and work. So that is why limited
income is coming in family. Author said that out of five workers one is earning less than £6 per
hour. Women are paid less then men and equality in payment is not seen.
About author
Polly Tonybee is born in 1946. she is a writer and journalist. She has also became
candidate in social democratic party. She has given her complete support to labour party. She
was also became editor in BBC and work there for quite long time. Her father name is Philip
Tonybee and mother's name was Anne Barbara Denise. Before joining BBC she has worked for
many years at The Guardian. She has written The Observer and The Radio times. The book
which is written by her naming Hard times is all about those workers which are paid less in
Britain. Along with author she is a broadcaster also. She is the Oxford drop out. As she left her
college before completing her degree (Journalist, Author and Broadcaster., 2020). She was
having love for journalism so that is why she has joined BBC and work in social affair. she has
also written The Independent. Polly has also received awards for her great work which includes
National press awards and has also became Columnist of the year. She was the supporter of state
education. Polly is Atheist. She believes that an individual have the right to choose their religion
and no one can force them to follow any specific religion.

Background and Perspective
The author of the book has created an image and put the light on the poor side of the
population. The viewpoint behind the book is the life of minimum wage of a hospital porter. He
showed a critical moral about the falling of capitalism and takes the side of the people who are
working in their essential jobs but are not receiving pay worthy enough of their work. This was
the main view point of the author and the purpose was to give a voice to the workers in the
healthy industry who are working very hard for the benefit of literal human life but are paid very
less from their expectations. Yes, the purpose of this book matters as it is an important issue to
be addressed and given the workers what they deserve. The work of the book is aimed to the pay
grade condition of hospital cleaner staff, hospital porters as well as the telemarketing people. It is
important to do so as to find the survivors which deserve better than the are treated as. the book
helps in underline the pay grade issues and has given some remedies to improve this condition.
Methodology
Mixed sources is the method which include both qualitative research and quantitative
research. In mixed research the investigation gets completed by involving both qualitative and
quantitative data (Pros and Cons of Mixed Methods Research., 2017). The data which is
collected in this research comprises of theories as well as number also. Author uses theory where
he is describing issues or problems which are related to the subject and used number to show that
how many people are facing this issues. Mixed method is the flexible method because it depends
on author or writer that which data they have to use.
They are not bound to give only qualitative data or give only quantitative data. As per the need of
writing they can switch between qualitative and quantitative data. Although it is not easy to use
because it increases complication within evaluations. Careful planning is required in this research
especially at the time when sampling are selected for research purpose (Lee, Green and Sissons,
2018). In this book also author has done various survey that is why she has given exact figures of
how many people are facing this problem or what amount of wage they are receiving etc.
Advantages of mixed data:
The foremost benefit is that this research have presence of both qualitative and quantitative data.
In order to explain numerical or numbers it can also includes picture, images or charts so that can
be easily understood. Writer can also use numbers in between theory in order to support theory.
When adding numbers in between theory makes the explanation of theory even strong. If the

explanation is done using theory and numbers both then reader will understand more better. If
the research only consists of theory then reading that can become boring and if the research
consists of complete numbers then to understand that can be little tough but if the research is
based on mixed method than it can understand better because mixture of theory and figures both
are present. Another benefit of this research type is researcher can handle complex research
questions also.
Disadvantages of mixed data:
Apart from so many advantages, this method also have some disadvantages. This method is not
easy to handle and one researcher alone cannot manage this method easily (Mustosmäki, 2018).
It can even cause duplicity in the content. This can happen because the researcher will apply
more than two methods simultaneously. If the researcher is choosing this method then they
should have gain knowledge regarding various approaches and methods and also how to use it.
So that is why many experts has said that researchers should work or use any one method which
can be qualitative or quantitative. This method is time-consuming and expensive as well.
Ethics:
This book has written by following all ethical practice. As book has shown moral indignation. As
author is saying that humans are born with the view that fairness is existing everywhere but what
the society is doing is not fair because companies are paying less wage to the workers. But while
writing this book author has taken information from the authentic sources. As author has used
mixed approach so data or figures are taken from the reliable sources.
Book itself
The book is all about minimum wage system. Author has argued in the book that why
workers who are doing essential services are received low wages. Book has explained that Polly
herself has worked on minimum wage where she paid £4.10 an hour. She left her comfortable
house and shifted to some flat which is nearby council estate. She has also worked in such jobs
where she was badly paid like hospital porter, school dinner lady, telesales representative etc.
book shed light on workers who are working hard but not getting payment as per the work which
is done by them. Her book also has shown the reality of society. Employers are not appreciating
their employees for the extra work which they are doing but stucking them into the contract what
they had signed (Perrons, 2017).

Appreciation are not getting by the employer to the employees. Although employers are not
paying extra to the workforce for extra work but they can appreciate them for the extra work
which has done by them. Tonybee has described in her book that when she was working in the
hospital as the porter then in that hospital porter were not allowed to help nurses with patients but
still nurse ask for help while carrying patients. In carrying patient if nurses got harmed or patient
sue them then they are secured by NHS insurance whereas private agency provide porter and the
agency does not have any liability if anything went wrong. Private agencies should have also
follow working rules and should have taken responsibility if anything wrong gets happened with
the employees. This book has also brought sense of moral indignation. Author said that how they
will face future generations. As future generations are born with feeling and are also taught that
everyone will be treated equally and no discrimination will be done. But in the society one can
see ranges of discrimination.
She has also explained issues of care assistant who are working in old people's home. She said
that in minimum wage she and her colleagues gets forced to work for long hours with extra
payment or any benefit. Many people are forced to work because they does not have any extra
option but to become good parents for their children they are becoming bad because they are
working such long hours that they are not having time to spend with their children. She further
said that there should be equality at the time of getting opportunity. Social mobility is increasing
as children which belongs from well do to family are marrying one who is from well to do family
only. This book also have some limitations because author belongs from well to do family and
having some privileges so that is why she is secure so she cannot understand the insecurity which
is faced by middle class people (D’Arcy, 2018).
As per the book money is the most important thing. As she said 'pay is everything'. She also
didn't work for long time in one job so that she can know the feelings of her fellow workers. So
she was not aware that what benefits workers are getting or how much support are getting from
their friends, family or other voluntary bodies. As per her thoughts low paid workers are victims
who are raised by state intervention. Although it has noticed that minimum wage system has
been increasing very fast. She also said that many of our colleagues are working is such a bad
situation in which to work for an individual can be intolerable. So this should have given thought
that how those people were working in such a bad situation. They are also people they should
have also get equality and good working environment.

Author has worked in those jobs and start living in council estate because she want to calculate
that what she is actually earning and is it sufficient to fulfil her needs or it is the minimum wage.
In Britain people are getting low wage who are doing essential services. ' work is the best
welfare' so an individual should receive payment which justify their work which means that a
person should get payment as per the work done. But employers are paying less to workers and
not according to the work done (Smith and McBride, 2021). The rate of unemployment is also
increasing which are leading to depression, stress, anxiety, early death etc. although after 1970
the rate of unemployment in Britain has fall down and that has made Britain full employment
society.
Book legacy
This book has played important role in the life of author because to understand the
condition or rather can say the situation of workers she has started living where they are living
and also worked at minimum wage. It is important to do so because then only she has realised
that how those people are feeling and how they are living with this much low wage. After
experiencing it she has raised her voice against low payment and also written a book in which
she has shed light on the condition of the people who are getting less payment as compared to
their work. Yes this book will definitely influence others it will aware employer about the
condition of employees and also aware agencies who are working for human welfare. By reading
this society will also get aware that working on low pay is bad and employers should stop doing
this practice (Hammes, Anderson II and Orn IV, 2016). With the pressure from the society,
employer can stop this practice.
Conclusion
Through this report it can be concluded that book 'Hard work: Life in low pay Britain'
concentrates on minimum wage. Author said that people who are doing essential services are
paid very less as compare to the work done by them. Essential workers which includes cake
packer, hospital cleaner, care assistant, telemarketer etc are not getting payment as per the long
hours they are working. Author is journalist, writer etc. she is having interest in writing and with
her writing she wanted to influence the society. She has worked in BBC for many years. Author
have specific viewpoint which was minimum wage system. Method which is used to conduct
research before writing book is mixed approach because book has included both qualitative and
quantitative data. Through mixed approach reader can understand even better what is written in

book. This books has raised many issues which is faced by unprivileged people in the society.
Although some people has opposed this book by saying that author herself is from privileged
family then how she will understand feelings of unprivileged people.

REFERENCES
Book and Journal
D’Arcy, C., 2018. Low Pay Britain 2018. Resolution Foundation, pp.1-44.
Hammes, K., Anderson II, H. and Orn IV, A., HARD WORK: LIFE IN LOW-PAY BRITAIN.
Lee, N., Green, A. and Sissons, P., 2018. Low-pay sectors, earnings mobility and economic
policy in the UK. Policy & Politics. 46(3). pp.347-369.
Mustosmäki, A., 2018. The intensification of work. In Family, Work and Well-Being (pp. 77-
90). Springer, Cham.
Perrons, D., 2017. Managing Work–life Tensions in the Neo-liberal UK. Work–Family
Dynamics: Competing Logics of Regulation, Economy and Morals. Abingdon: Routledge,
pp.36-51.
Smith, A. and McBride, J., 2021. ‘Working to Live, Not Living to Work’: Low-Paid Multiple
Employment and Work–Life Articulation. Work, Employment and Society. 35(2). pp.256-
276.
Yao, C. and et.al., 2017. The living wage as an income range for decent work and life. Employee
Relations.
Online
Hard Work: Life in Low-pay Britain., 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539518/>
Journalist, Author and Broadcaster., 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.gordonpoole.com/talent/polly-toynbee/>
Pros and Cons of Mixed Methods Research., 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/a-study-on-using-mixed-methods-in-
research-psychology-essay.php>