Britain's Hardest Workers: Inside the Low Wage Economy - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
Episode 1
In this episode, they are doing our dirty work - cleaning hotel rooms after a busy party weekend and then sorting through our recycling. While the workers battle to meet performance targets, Anita Rani looks at the bigger picture - can businesses cope with a rise in minimum wage, are we Brits afraid of hard graft and is worker representation a thing of the past?
Episode 2
16 workers remain in the experiment as the investigation into Britain's low-wage economy continues. This time, they are working in food and farming - picking broccoli and making ready meals for our tables.
While the workers find out what it is like to be casual labourers, Anita Rani is exploring the truth behind zero-hour contracts and what happens when a workforce is hidden from view. At the end of their two shifts, the workers find out who came closest to hitting industry targets.
Episode 3
As the experiment into Britain's low-paid jobs continues, the nine remaining workers are being put to the test in one of Britain's newest and fastest growing sectors - e-commerce. They are preparing orders in a warehouse and then quality controlling tents for sale online.
As they experience first hand the cutting edge of modern performance monitoring, Anita Rani sets off to find out how gamification is affecting the workplace and what future faces Britain's growing army of older workers.
Episode 4
It is over half way through the experiment and now just six workers remain. This time, they are working in manufacturing - a sector that has been in decline in the UK but is showing signs of a revival. What does it take to make the grade working in a car parts company and who will cut it in the textile industry?
While the workers get to grips with the levels of skill demanded of them - and all for minimum wage - Anita Rani is finding out why Britain's productivity lags so far behind other G7 nations and whether we want more manufacturing jobs here at all.
Episode 5
In the final two days of the experiment, the five remaining workers take on the highest paid employment of the low-wage sector, but it is also the most physically and mentally demanding - night work. As the workers do an all-night shift at a warehouse, Anita Rani is finding out if there is a price to pay for earning these premium rates. For their final task, the workers are doing a shift for a busy pizza take-away outlet. It is the most challenging job they have faced so far and the winner will walk away with a life-changing bonus.
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