Casual work seems like the perfect partner to uni life, with more than half of young workers between the age of 15-25 picking up shifts. Low hours at a higher rate and flexibility in the workplace? What could be wrong with that?

Well, casual work comes without the security of permanent employment, such as zero paid annual holiday leave or sick leave. Got some unpaid internships you have to do in order to graduate? Have fun eating air for a few weeks!

In exchange for these entitlements, casual workers are meant to get a higher hourly rate called casual loading. But in an article part of The Conversation’s ‘What We Earn’ series, academics from The Centre for Workplace Leadership are questioning if that extra hourly dosh actually counteracts the cons of casual work.

When “Flexibility” Isn’t So Flexible

Students need flexibility, and while some casual jobs can accommodate for this, not all will. On top of no paid leave, there’s also the possibility of instant dismissal and unpredictable weekly hours and wages. Juggling your day-to-day uni life while dealing with the uncertainty of casual work can be a major struggle for the modern student.

Emma is a student at University of South Australia (UniSA). Earlier this year she asked for her hours to be reduced while she finished some big assignments. Emma says, “After those two weeks my shifts didn’t return to normal. They continued to give me short shifts each week as though they were punishing me for needing time off.”

I’m not certain in my job at all. I’m just waiting for them to say I’m fired.

She said it was “almost impossible” to keep afloat. She says, “I didn’t have a leg to stand on.”

Georgia is also a UniSA student, currently in her second year of nursing. Her degree requires large amounts of unpaid work experience so she’s constantly requesting time off from her casual job. Because of this, she thinks her employers are “over it”.

Georgia says, “Some weeks, even when I don’t have placement, I’ll get zero shifts. I’m not certain in my job at all. I’m just waiting for them to say I’m fired.” 

But What About The Extra Pay?

Earlier this year, the Fair Work Commission handed down the decision to slash penalty rates for retail and hospo workers on Sundays and public holidays. Casual hospo workers saw their pay reduced from 175 per cent to 150 per cent, with retail casual workers having their pay slashed from 200 per cent to 150 per cent. Over the following four years, the rates are expected to drop even more.

There are some short-term benefits to casual work, so maybe don’t storm into your managers office with a fiery pitchfork just yet. But, a recent study found zero evidence of any long-term pay benefits for casual workers. Yep, none.

Josh Healey a Senior Research Fellow at The Centre for Workplace Leadership (CWL), says casual workers “are giving up a lot potentially for that small increase of pay”.

The CWL compared the wages of casual workers and non-casual workers in the 10 largest occupations that employ casual workers – areas like sales assistants and hospo workers. In those occupations they found that there is usually a small pay benefit for being casual, but Josh says, “It’s usually only a pay increase of five per cent.”

He adds, “It’s not as large as I would expect to see given what casual work involves giving up.”

What Are The Other Options?

Some of you might be reading this and thinking, ‘but I love my casual job?!’ And you’re not alone – not all casual workers feel ripped off.

Despite this, the piece by the CWL is suggesting that the person who really benefits from this work isn’t the worker. Josh Healy says, “For university students the benefits of casual work are a bit exaggerated… The flexibility is more for the employer.”

“They call you in the morning and say, ‘hey we don’t need you today’” he says. “That doesn’t help university students juggle their studies with work.”

Josh says the best alternative would be to nab a permanent part-time position, meaning you still have time to study and also get the benefits of stable employment. However, when it comes to permanent part-time work, he says, “There just isn’t that much around… Employers are on a good wicket when it comes to casual work.”

The unfortunate reality is that most students don’t have a choice. With half of young people in casual positions and the job market more competitive than ever, it’s looking like for some it’s either casual work or no work.

Tahlia Svingos is a media/journo student from the University of Adelaide. She probably wrote this in the bath.

(Lead image: FRIED/BBC)