The call to complete the survey for the Class Composition Project was originally published [here]https://notesfrombelow.org/article/class-composition-project-workplace-survey).

Below we republish the introduction to and questions from the survey.

About The Class Composition Project

A ‘workers inquiry’ is a type of research project that seeks to find out what is happening in a workplace from the view of the workers, rather than the bosses. The Class Composition Project is a form of ‘workers inquiry’, but rather than focusing on just one workplace, we are trying to build up a picture of work in as many different workplaces in as many industries as possible over the course of the next year. This knowledge will help us, and workers in general, in our ongoing efforts to improve our lives, and in our struggles against exploitation.

All the questions in this form are optional, so if you’d rather not answer one you can just skip it, but the more information you give, the better picture we will be able to build up of your industry (or maybe even your workplace if some of your colleagues take part too). It should take you around 20 minutes to complete. Your answers will be treated anonymously, and we will only talk about specific workplaces in ways that protect the identities of those who took part. Please leave your contact details at the end of the form if you’d like to get more involved in the project. To read our privacy notice covering the information we are collecting, click here.

About you

  1. First Name?
  2. Last Name?
  3. What is your age? (Under 18, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+)
  4. What is your gender? (Female, Male, Other (please specify), Prefer not to say)
  5. What is your race/ethnicity? (Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British, Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Groups, White, Other (please specify, Prefer not to say)

About you and the work you do

  1. What is your job role/job title?
  2. What type of contract do you have? Please read the full list and tick all that apply (Permanent, Full-time, Temporary, Part-time, Zero hours, Hourly, Casual, Self-employed/freelance, If none of the above categories describe your contract type, or your situation is more complicated, please explain)
  3. What is your usual working pattern? e.g. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; 12-hour shifts 4 days on/4 days off; Sun-Thurs 6am-2pm; etc
  4. Can you briefly describe your typical working day?
  5. How much are you paid per year? (Under £20,000, £20,001-£30,000, £30,001 to £40,000, £40,001-£50,000, £50,001+, Prefer not to say).
  6. Do you manage or supervise other workers?(Yes, No, Prefer not to say)

About your place of work

  1. Which of the following industries or sectors do you work in? If you’re not sure which industry or sector your job would fall into, this list might help.
  2. What is the name of your company/employer? (optional)
  3. Where is your workplace based?
  4. What is the postcode of your workplace?
  5. Do you know roughly how many people work for your company/employer? (At your site, Across the whole UK)
  6. How would you describe the breakdown of people working at your workplace in terms of age, gender and ethnicity? Examples: Mostly under 30, very ethnically diverse, mostly male; Broad age range, mostly white British, equal gender split; Half BAME females aged 20-30, half white males aged 50-60
  7. Would you say in your workplace certain types of people tend to do certain types of jobs? e.g. young women mostly in certain job roles, older men mostly in certain jobs, particular ethnicities mostly in certain jobs, etc

Agency/outsourced workers

  1. Are there outsourced or agency workers in your workplace? (Yes, No, Don’t know)
  2. If yes, are agency/outsourced workers treated differently to directly-employed staff, either in terms of workload, pay, terms and conditions or anything else?
  3. If yes, can you explain in what ways agency/outsourced workers are treated differently to directly-employed staff?

Industrial relations

  1. Is there a union(s) at your workplace? (Yes - there is a recognised union/unions at my workplace, There are union members, but no recognised unions, No, there are no unions or members that I know of at my workplace, Don’t know)
  2. If there is a union/unions, do you know which one(s)?
  3. Which union(s) are you a member of, if any?
  4. If you are a member of a union, can you describe how involved or not you are with the union and why? (If you don’t consider yourself an active union member, this is also useful to know)
  5. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements (strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)
    a. My employer shares information with workers about company finances
    b. My employer is open and honest with workers about decisions affecting them
    c. There is a good relationship between senior managers and staff
    d. Staff are treated with respect
    e. Staff are paid fairly for the work they do
    f. Staff are able to influence company decisions
    g. I have freedom to decide how I do my job
    h. My employer monitors my work very closely
    i. I am worried about being made redundant

The impact of Covid-19

  1. Are you currently working from home? (Some of the time, None of the time, All of the time)
  2. Compared to before the pandemic, how many hours do you work? (More, Less, About the same)
  3. Do you know of colleagues who have caught Covid-19 at work? (Yes, No, I know someone who thinks they did but they aren’t sure)
  4. To what extent do you think your employer has kept staff safe during the Covid-19 outbreak? (Not at all, To some extent, Completely, Don’t Know)
  5. Has your employer provided or offered equipment to aid you when working from home? (Yes, No, Don’t Know, Not applicable)
  6. Has your employer provided the correct PPE to keep you safe if you needed it? (Yes, No, Don’t know, Not applicable)
  7. Do you know of any colleagues, or groups of colleagues, who have refused to do something due to fears over Covid-19? (Yes, No)
  8. Please tell us more about your or your colleagues’ experiences at work during Covid-19, including any examples where people have refused to do something due to fears over Covid-19.

Can you tell us a bit more?

  1. Is your employer currently attempting to impose changes in working conditions, pay, or hiring policies in your workplace? If yes, how is this being done and how are workers responding to it?
  2. Are there ways in which workers deal with management’s attempts to control their time/actions at work? Think about collective and official methods (such as unions) but also individual methods through which you and your co-workers avoid being monitored or forced to do even more work than you already do.
  3. Is there anything else you want to tell us about your workplace that you think we should know when analysing the situation of workers today?

Almost done

  1. What is your email address?
  2. Please tick the box if you would be willing to take part in a longer interview about your experiences with a member of the ‘Class Composition Project’ team (I’m interested)
  3. What is your phone number?



author

Notes from Below (@NotesFrom_Below)

The Editorial collective of Notes from Below.


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