Pay and workload are top challenges for young workers in BT – Prospect poll

Young professionals in BT have aired concerns about pay, increasing workloads and lack of investment in their future within the company.

The findings were revealed in a poll of young members of Prospect in managerial roles, and conducted using the Thought Exchange tool.

Participants were asked the question: “What are the hardest challenges you are facing in relation to work?”

Alongside their own replies, participants were asked to rate others’ responses, with nearly 1,000 exchanges taking place.

The highest number of responses came from East Anglia, where many young people are employed at BT’s cutting edge research and innovation site at Adastral Park – followed by Wales – though people replied from across the UK.

Typical comments included:

• I’m paid less than the team I manage.
• The pay at BT is below industry standard and graduates are not being offered pay rises.
• Managers have had no pay increase yet are working longer hours, increased workloads and stress, with no reward.
• Taking on a bigger role with no extra pay.
• Recently had a new job role where the workload has tripled and the pay increase insignificant.

Breaking point

Examples of wider concerns included:

• Increasing workload to breaking point.
• Constant reorganisations leaving little continuity.
• Lack of any idea of what is going to happen going forward.
• If we speak up we then end up being a “target”.
• Fear of being unemployed soon.
• Lack of diversity amongst senior managers.

The gender breakdown of participants was 70% male, 28% female and 2% non-binary.

Prospect national secretary John Ferrett said: “While the most thoughts by number were about pay, lack of investment by BT in their young employees was an important theme, as shown by how participants rated others’ comments.

“These findings not entirely surprising, since BT has pressed ahead with the People Framework restructure during the COVID-19 crisis, even though we asked for a pause. Also manager grades only received performance-related bonuses this year while the team members they manage were awarded a pay increase.

“Our young members’ contribution has been invaluable in keeping people across the UK connected during the pandemic, and they should be recognised and rewarded.”

Women feel ignored

Rob Young, Prospect’s young professionals organiser, said: “We are looking at the feedback we received from across BT and recognise that lots of people feel that their work is not valued.

“In particular we are aware that a disproportionate number of women feel that their contribution is ignored and that they are not listened to. This is reflected in the smaller proportion of woman participants.

“We are going to follow this up by drawing up a plan for training and support we can offer young members in BT in the autumn, as well as targeted training for younger women, so watch this space.”