Fashioning a Beautiful Future

This report highlights four key themes increasing vulnerability to worker exploitation in Leicester. Financial precarity is widespread due to the prevalence of low wages, uncertain or part-time hours, and specific cost-pressures that particularly impact upon communities with lower levels of English language skills, or who were recently arrived in the UK. Many workers identify limits in their employability, which constrain the choices available to them, due to a lack of job search skills, qualifications, proficiency in English and (particularly for women) cultural expectations
associated with family and childcare duties. Anti exploitation measures have proved ineffective due to the isolation of workers, low expectations concerning the impact of raising concerns, and insufficient multi agency collaboration at local level. There are also continuing disincentives to employers to offer decent work, due to uncertainty about the financial returns possible within an ethical business model and a ready supply of workers with limited options

This report brings home the hardship, inequalities, and exploitation too many people are facing in neighbourhoods across our city. We are committed to working with community groups, business local and national Government” to stamp out these practices

Neetu Squire Head of Community Development, Leicestershire Cares