Respect and Recognition
Participants talked about the importance of feeling respected and valued, both when applying for jobs and when in work. Two main sub themes came through: recruitment and wages.
Recruitment
When applying for work, several people said they rarely received feedback on their applications. Others said they wanted support that felt more understanding and empathetic, including from work coaches.
Wages
Low pay was raised across different groups, both as a barrier to entering work and as an issue for those already in work.
Some participants said benefits could be higher than the wages being advertised or paid. People called for “a worthwhile wage which is more than benefits”, and spoke about “feeling appreciated and paid enough to live and provide.”
Wage discrepancies were also noted around age, with young people in one session expressing that not only did low wages impact the ability to ‘live properly’, but that instead of being paid for the skill they provided, age actually determined pay-rates.