Beyond the paycheck
In the age of gig economy, remote work, and juggling multiple jobs, unpaid labour is no longer confined only to the domestic sphere or volunteerism. It is now an insidious undercurrent in paid employment, eroding worker rights and deepening inequality. From the creative freelancer logging extra hours to secure their next project, to the care worker stretching beyond paid duties to ensure a client’s wellbeing, unpaid labour permeates contemporary work. But why does it persist, and how can we confront the structural inequities it perpetuates?
This question lies at the heart of today’s most pressing debates on work and labour. The phenomenon of unpaid labour—work performed without direct or low compensation—is not merely a byproduct of precarious work; it can actively sustain and exacerbate it. It is time to unmask the political and structural forces behind this unpaid toil and demand systemic change.
Who benefits from unpaid labour?
Unpaid labour operates as a hidden subsidy to employers. In many industries, workers are compelled to extend their working day without additional pay to meet deadlines, maintain job security, or adhere to “ideal worker” norms. Internships, unpaid overtime, and tight employer control over schedules are just a few examples. This trend is especially pronounced in gig and platform work, where freelancers compete in a global marketplace, often shouldering risks and costs previously borne by employers.
The irony is glaring: while unpaid labour generates profits for employers and value for markets, it disproportionately harms workers. Financial insecurity, job unpredictability, and the erosion of social benefits are direct consequences. The concept of “wage theft” and “income theft” captures this injustice aptly: workers are denied the full value of their effort, trapped in a cycle of intensifying precarity.
Precarity as a process, not just a condition
To understand the entrenchment of unpaid labour, we must shift from viewing precarity as an isolated economic condition to recognizing it as a process shaped by systemic power imbalances. Neoliberal labour policies have deregulated employment, weakened unions, and heightened employer control over workers. These dynamics enable employers to extract unpaid labour under the guise of norms, even underpinning career advancements.
For instance, in care work—an industry already strained by privatization and cost-cutting measures—unpaid labour often takes the form of emotional labour and unpaid overtime to meet ethical or relational commitments to clients. Similarly, in creative sectors like dance or art, unpaid labour masquerades as “investment” in one’s career, pushing workers to accept unpaid gigs for visibility or future opportunities. Platform workers, on the other hand, endure unpredictable schedules and unpaid “waiting time” between tasks. Across these sectors, the pattern is clear: unpaid labour sustains an unequal distribution of risk and reward.
The inequities of unpaid labour
The ability to endure unpaid labour hinges on access to resources—financial, institutional, and social. Workers with familial wealth, spousal support, or robust welfare systems can buffer its impact, creating a divide between those who can afford to subsidize their work and those who cannot. This dynamic perpetuates inequality not only between individuals but also across class and identity lines, such as gender and race, as marginalized groups often lack the resources needed to sustain unpaid labour without severe consequences.
Treating unpaid labour as a personal sacrifice or a stepping stone to success obscures its broader societal harm. Instead, we must recognize it as a structural issue demanding systemic change.
Demanding systemic change: power redistribution
Unpaid labour is not an individual failing or just a symptom of precarity but a result of the ways systemic forces—like policies, cultural norms, or economic structures—create and maintain unequal power relations. This approach highlights the interconnectedness of unpaid labour and structural conditions, moving beyond individual experiences to address the root causes. Within this context, unpaid labour is a symptom of deeper structural inequalities. Tackling it requires us to rethink the politics of work, from labour laws to norms and narratives. By exposing the hidden costs of unpaid labour and advocating for systemic change, we can create a fairer, more equitable world where work is dignified, compensated, and sustainable. It is time to reclaim the ‘value’ of labour and demand justice for all workers. If unpaid labour is a political issue, then addressing it requires political solutions.
Here are four concrete steps to counter its corrosive effects:
1. Make collective bargaining effective by including workers with insecure, irregular, and informal connections to paid work.
An inclusive approach should ensure that collective agreements apply across entire sectors, covering even small or informal businesses. This would prevent companies on the fringes of the formal economy from exploiting gaps in worker protections. It also requires trade unions to mobilize and organize across traditional divides by forging alliances with grassroots organizations that have strong connections to disadvantaged workers. For example, in Germany, migrant care workers fought to have their qualifications recognized, a struggle that could benefit from union support.
2. Reduce working time in paid employment for waged labour to give workers more time to manage personal and family responsibilities, reducing their reliance on unpaid labour to meet these needs.
This approach is particularly impactful for caregivers and those juggling multiple jobs, who often bear the brunt of unpaid work. By redistributing work across more employees, reduced working hours can also create formal employment opportunities for those in precarious or informal arrangements. To ensure this policy is effective, wage adjustments and income protections must accompany shorter hours to prevent workers from losing income or facing increased workloads within reduced timeframes.
3. Introduce government policies which subsidize reduced working hours through tax incentives or direct wage supplements.
For instance, caregivers taking on fewer paid hours could receive compensatory support to ensure financial stability. Employment laws must also prevent employers from imposing unreasonable productivity targets during shorter work periods, protecting workers from intensified labour demands. Additionally, investment in public services like affordable childcare, eldercare, and healthcare can alleviate the unpaid labour burden that disproportionately falls on women and marginalized groups.
4. Promote educational initiatives and public campaigns that challenge the narratives normalizing unpaid labour.
The myth of the “ideal worker”—endlessly available, self-sacrificing, and driven by passion—legitimizes exploitation and reinforces gendered divisions of labour, where unpaid work is disproportionately carried out by women. By questioning these harmful narratives and recognizing the social and economic value of all forms of labour, we can foster a culture that values humanity and sociality over mere productivity.