New study led by UCL researchers Dr Krisztián Pósch and Professor Ella Cockbain (UCL Security and Crime Science) has found that at least one in seven UK workers has experienced a clear violation of basic employment rights in the past two years. The study, Working Lives: the scale and nature of labour market non-compliance and other work-based harms in the UK, is the most comprehensive of its kind, surveying more than 4,000 workers across all sectors. It reveals that illegal practices such as underpayment, missing contracts and unlawful deductions remain widespread, with an estimated 5.4 million workers affected nationwide.
The findings highlight that employment harms are not confined to a small group of “bad apples” or to traditionally vulnerable roles. While violations were especially high among precarious workers, the research shows that problems cut across the labour market, affecting workers in a wide range of occupations and settings. Beyond clear legal breaches, many millions more reported harmful practices including unpaid extra hours, negative impacts on mental health, workplace injuries, bullying and harassment, pointing to systemic challenges in how work is organised and regulated.
The report makes a series of practical recommendations to improve worker protections and strengthen enforcement, with a particular focus on the newly established Fair Work Agency. The research was commissioned by the former Director of Labour Market Enforcement and delivered via UCL Consultants, bringing together academic expertise from UCL with real‑world policy needs.
You can read the full UCL News article and explore the findings in more detail here:
UCL News: Rights of at least one in seven UK workers illegally violated at their job
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