0:00:03 > 0:00:07In Britain, more than 5 million people are now in low-paid work.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10I am left with ?12.76 every single week.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Some weeks, I'm just really struggling.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15I have to borrow, in fact, off people.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Whether we're unskilled workers, graduates or aged 50 or over,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22many of us could have a future in low pay.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Everybody is vulnerable.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Work is the new poor.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29With zero-hour contracts, automation and global competition,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33employees need to be more adaptable than ever before.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35There's losers in any transition period.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39The question is what do you do to make sure that some of the losers
0:00:39 > 0:00:40don't fall through the cracks.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44So, how tough are these jobs and can anyone do them?
0:00:44 > 0:00:4720 people, all proud of their work ethic...
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I'm a grafter, I've always been a grafter.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53I don't ever believe anything is above me or below me.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Money doesn't just come to you, you've got to go out and get it.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58..are taking part in a unique experiment.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00I'm your factory manager for the next ten days.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02They're putting themselves to the test,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06trying out a range of low-paid jobs in real British workplaces...
0:01:06 > 0:01:08So, that's what we're trying to achieve.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09Better crack on then, hadn't we?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11I thought it was going to be easy.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14..and in a specially-constructed factory.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18I'll get there. I knew it would be a slow start, but I'll get there.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Facing an uncertain future in the job market...
0:01:21 > 0:01:25I want to prove to myself how hard a worker I can be.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I'm taking part to show that there are hard-working people out there.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31..they'll discover what skills you need to survive
0:01:31 > 0:01:33in today's low-paid jobs.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34I don't understand.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35No. Sorry.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37It's squirting everywhere.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40And just like in the real jobs market, it's competitive...
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Jesus. ..with the least productive worker being laid off
0:01:43 > 0:01:45after every shift...
0:01:45 > 0:01:47The shift is finished.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49..until we're left with the most adaptable
0:01:49 > 0:01:51and most resilient worker of all.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Over the last four days,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01the workers have taken on jobs from across the low-wage economy.
0:02:01 > 0:02:02KNOCK ON DOOR Housekeeping.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Boy, this one is a mess.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08They've seen what it's like to be part of an invisible workforce...
0:02:08 > 0:02:11In fact, pigs are probably cleaner than this.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12..from the working conditions...
0:02:12 > 0:02:16It's smelly, dusty, I can get some disease from that.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19..to the targets they're expected to meet.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20Faster, faster, faster, faster.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25It sounded really easy, same as all the tasks, but it's actually not.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27And they've learned how in this world...
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Oh, no.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32All of that product might now have to be rejected.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34..you're only as good as your last day's work.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Let me a little bit for a few minutes.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I'm afraid you're going to have to leave.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Now the nine remaining workers are going to have to enter
0:02:43 > 0:02:46one of the newest and most talked-about business sectors -
0:02:46 > 0:02:47e-commerce.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Us Brits spend more online per head
0:02:59 > 0:03:02than any other developed nation.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Last year, we spent more than ?40 billion.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Now, to cope with our ever-increasing demand
0:03:08 > 0:03:10of next-day delivery,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13quality guarantees and bargain prices,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16there's an army of low-paid workers.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18To keep up with our increasing orders,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20online global giants like Amazon
0:03:20 > 0:03:22have built massive warehouses
0:03:22 > 0:03:23in the UK,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26capable of shipping over 2 million items a day.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29But to make sure that staff working in those warehouses
0:03:29 > 0:03:32as pickers and packers are fast and accurate,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35their work rates are continuously monitored.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37It has lead to headline stories and controversy.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40How much pressure can companies place on workers?
0:03:40 > 0:03:43And what's it like to work in a hi-tech warehouse
0:03:43 > 0:03:46where every move you make is being watched by the boss?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52That's what we want our workers to find out,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56so they're off to do a shift at an online retailer in Sheffield.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59I'm nervous, cos I don't even know what to expect,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03cos I've never done this job before.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06And for the first time in the experiment so far,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09they won't be working in teams.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I think the opportunity today to work individually
0:04:11 > 0:04:15will be good to see just how strong
0:04:15 > 0:04:17mentally and emotionally I can handle it.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Today, the workers will be trying out their next low-paid job
0:04:21 > 0:04:24at a multi-million pound online grocery business...
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Good morning, everyone.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29..where they'll be managed by its founder, Dan Cluderay.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I started this business eight years ago.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38We're now sending out 45,000 to 50,000 items every single day.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40I'm putting my business in your hands.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43So - picking, packing, you've got to do this with speed,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46but most important - quality.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Keep keen, keep lean, but be smart.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Come on, follow me.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54After being made redundant,
0:04:54 > 0:04:5640-year-old Dan spotted a gap in the market.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01He'd take food nearing its best before date,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04buy it at a discount and sell it on to bargain hunters.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Now the business is six years old,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11worth millions and is reaching customers in the UK
0:05:11 > 0:05:13and across Europe.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16To keep up with customer orders,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Dan employs a team of 25 pickers and packers,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21who all start on minimum wage.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Our customers expect next-day.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27They're not bothered about what happens in this building.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29They just want it delivered.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33It's absolutely crucial that these pickers work at the speed we need.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35They have to get it right and they have to be quick.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Dan's developed a computer system
0:05:38 > 0:05:40to process orders and run the warehouse.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45The trolleys are loaded with separate trays for each customer.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48The computer plans the quickest route down the aisle
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and tells the picker what items to collect
0:05:50 > 0:05:51and which tray to put them in.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56The packers then box up the orders, ready for dispatch.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00The workers are about to do a four-hour shift,
0:06:00 > 0:06:01picking and packing.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05On-screen, it tells you where to go next
0:06:05 > 0:06:06and it tells you what to do.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09In warehouse work, as in other sectors,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12the use of technology is increasing.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13And to be able to do these jobs,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16you have to be able to get to grips with it.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18You'll have to really get in here to go and see this.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21So, with Capri-Sun, it'll say to go to 13 A3
0:06:21 > 0:06:23and to get one Capri-Sun.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27The picture that you see is the product that you're going to pack.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29SCANNER BEEPS
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Before doing it for real,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34the workers have a trial run to see how the system works.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36What do you do?
0:06:36 > 0:06:40You scan your item and then scan your tray.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44This is really confus... I thought it was going to be easy.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Now, if you press... Yeah. That's it.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49And now you scan the tray.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Warehouse worker Majka and graphic designer Leon
0:06:53 > 0:06:56have both used this type of technology,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58so they're finding it easier to understand the system.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Every crate is organised - A, B, C, D...
0:07:03 > 0:07:05And when it tells you B,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07you need to know exactly where it is to be more efficient,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09you need to know that inside out.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13The computer tells them which item to pick and once it's scanned...
0:07:13 > 0:07:16SCANNER BEEPS ..which tray to put it in.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19If they scan the wrong product or the wrong tray,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22the system won't allow them to move on to the next item.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24We're like robots then...
0:07:24 > 0:07:26doing all this.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30For ex-mortgage adviser Judy, this technology is all new.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34It wouldn't scan the new tray,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36so I thought maybe they hadn't finished the picking,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39so I put it in a different tray and it still wouldn't scan it.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41And working with a computerised system
0:07:41 > 0:07:44is completely different for agency chef Stephanie.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50That's it, order complete.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I'm getting my process fixed in my head.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Gentleman making approving signs
0:07:56 > 0:07:57so thinks that I might...
0:07:57 > 0:07:58I've got potential.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Just got to get going.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03Training over.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07The workers now have two hours to see how close they can get
0:08:07 > 0:08:09to the company's target pick rates.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Right, guys, this is it, off you go.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Rob, move your bloody tray, mate.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16SHE CHUCKLES
0:08:18 > 0:08:20These first few minutes are going to be the ones
0:08:20 > 0:08:23of where they're going to be flapping, you know,
0:08:23 > 0:08:24"Am I doing it right?"
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Ah!
0:08:26 > 0:08:28HORN BEEPS
0:08:28 > 0:08:30I've done something wrong then. Yeah.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Oh, two of them. Oh, goodness me.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38The computerised trolleys don't just show the pickers
0:08:38 > 0:08:40what items to select,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43the onboard system also records how fast they're working
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and sends the data back to Dan.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47As these scans happen,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50we're going to see this data fall live into the system.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52So I can see from my computer exactly where everybody is.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00The scanning right now -
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Leon's took an early lead with four items
0:09:03 > 0:09:04that he's scanned into his basket.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06But over the next ten-minute period,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09we're going to get a feel for how people are going.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12So how does Dan's monitoring system work?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14How does he see who's on target and who's not?
0:09:17 > 0:09:18What am I looking at here?
0:09:18 > 0:09:22So, we've created a system where we can monitor, in ten-minute segments,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26the productivity of all our workers throughout the entire day.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Green - it's meaning that they're going really well.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Blue - that's acceptable.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33But if I start seeing people in reds and oranges,
0:09:33 > 0:09:34that performance is low.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Looking at it like this, it seems very cold,
0:09:37 > 0:09:38it's quite calculating,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40it's ten minutes, ten minutes, ten minutes.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42These are human beings who are doing a job.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Does it...
0:09:44 > 0:09:45Do they appreciate this?
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Is it working for them? I think so, I think so.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Because what use is it that I tell someone at the end of the day,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52"You've been no good today"?
0:09:52 > 0:09:54We developed this, not to bash people over the head.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58As an employer, it just gives you the workability
0:09:58 > 0:09:59to give merit to people.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Someone can say, "Have you seen what I've done over the six months?"
0:10:02 > 0:10:04"Yes, I can see everything you've done.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06"I can see absolutely everything." Yeah.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07And how is your productivity? We are...
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Are you hitting targets?
0:10:09 > 0:10:10Are you where you want to be?
0:10:10 > 0:10:12We are achieving pick rates
0:10:12 > 0:10:14in excess of 500 to 600 items
0:10:14 > 0:10:16per hour per person.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19We developed it, cos as a business, if you want to be lean,
0:10:19 > 0:10:20if you want to be productive
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and keep up with the Amazons of the world,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24this is what you've got to do.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Dan's system means that his workers have a pick rate target
0:10:31 > 0:10:33of almost ten items a minute.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Our novice workers' target is half that.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40(Sugar! Sugar, sugar, sugar.)
0:10:40 > 0:10:43But so far, none of them are getting anywhere near.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Oh, BLEEP. This is meant to be...
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Oh, it's not. OK, 21 E1.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It becomes really interesting to see who is performing, you know?
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Who's having a good time? Why are they having a bad time?
0:10:57 > 0:10:59What's the reasons why?
0:10:59 > 0:11:02It's hard to perform when you know that someone's watching you.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04I guess there's a reason why they do it,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06but it can get people off-guard
0:11:06 > 0:11:08and I would say it's really under pressure.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11I think it's a good management tool.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14If you're falling behind, at least someone else knows
0:11:14 > 0:11:16that you're falling behind and they can tell you
0:11:16 > 0:11:18where you're going wrong and how to work harder.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23In previous jobs where I've worked,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25where it's target driven,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29the person who had done the least that day would buy the drinks.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32It's not that I want to put pressure on them.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34It almost becomes a bit like a game.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Using monitoring data to incentivise workers
0:11:40 > 0:11:41to compete against each other
0:11:41 > 0:11:45is an increasing trend and productivity becomes a game
0:11:45 > 0:11:48they can either win or lose.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Professor Kirstie Ball has been studying how companies
0:11:51 > 0:11:53use competition in the workplace.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55What's gamification?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58So, gamification is where management
0:11:58 > 0:12:00use elements of gameplay
0:12:00 > 0:12:03in the way that they organise work.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07So that would be things like league tables, point systems,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10tournaments, that kind of thing.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14It's been much hyped, I suppose, in the management press.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16I mean, does gamification work?
0:12:16 > 0:12:19The people who really push it,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23the proponents of it, they say it engages employees better.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25So if you gamify something, you make it fun,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28you bring an element of competition, you know,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30with your peers and so on, and this can be really engaging.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Can there be a negative side to it?
0:12:32 > 0:12:33There can be a negative side to it,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35because not everybody responds well
0:12:35 > 0:12:38to the whole carrot and stick approach that you get in a game.
0:12:38 > 0:12:39People learn in different ways,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42people absorb information and take things on board in different ways.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43So it doesn't work for everybody.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45And for those people,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47it can actually be quite alienating and disengaging.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50So it splits opinion.
0:12:50 > 0:12:51I think, like monitoring,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55it really needs to be applied in conjunction
0:12:55 > 0:12:56with a whole bunch of other things.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59What do you think the future of monitoring will be?
0:12:59 > 0:13:00Is it something we need to be worried about?
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Monitoring and the way it's done
0:13:02 > 0:13:04says a lot about how the company views its employees.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07If you retain the right as an employer to hire and fire people
0:13:07 > 0:13:11on the basis of monitoring statistics
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and monitored performance alone,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17that really is questionable in terms of the ethicality of that practice.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19And do you think there's room for that to happen?
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Do you think that is happening? It does happen.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23It happens in places like call centres
0:13:23 > 0:13:25where the work is outsourced.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28So, you have a set of employees working in a team,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30answering calls from an outside client
0:13:30 > 0:13:32and the client can demand a particular level of performance
0:13:32 > 0:13:35and if the employee does not offer that performance,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37yes, they can be shown the door.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Back at the warehouse and Dan's noticed a sharp drop
0:13:40 > 0:13:43in productivity with one of the workers.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Bulgarian-born Martin has done a lot of low-paid jobs
0:13:52 > 0:13:54since moving to the UK four years ago.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57But today, he's finding the combination of English
0:13:57 > 0:13:59and technology difficult. OK...
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Calm down. Calm down.
0:14:02 > 0:14:046...13B.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Honestly, I'm not feeling very confident,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11but I will try to be as quick as I can.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16To make sure that I'm picking up the right stuff.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Martin's scanning the wrong trays
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and the computer won't allow him to move on.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25You've got your trays muddled up.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29So Dan sent one of his pickers over to sort it out.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32So 41948.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Hi, Scott. Have we got to the bottom of it?
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Yeah, I think what's happened is the trays have got muddled up.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Swapping the trays, I don't think it's my fault, because...
0:14:40 > 0:14:43We ship out 45,000 items a day and we don't have this problem,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45but we seem to be having it with you, Martin.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47But what we need to do is just move on from this now,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49we've got it right and you can do this.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51OK? Great stuff, mate, keep going.
0:14:53 > 0:14:5421 D1.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17An hour into their shift and Majka and Leon
0:15:17 > 0:15:20are already hitting the target of five items a minute.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23They've done this type of work before,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26so they're used to the combination of physical and technical work
0:15:26 > 0:15:29and they're able to deal with the pressure of being monitored.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35In my warehouse, I've been quite used to
0:15:35 > 0:15:37if someone check how much I done.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40When they told us, for me, it's more motivation
0:15:40 > 0:15:42to make my work better.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46So, for me, that is like small kick in my arse
0:15:46 > 0:15:49to keep together and try the best what I can.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54So far, who's at the bottom?
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Rob down here - he's found a pace, but it's the wrong pace.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59He's just at the wrong speed.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07He's consistently flat.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10It's taken him three minutes to pick one product
0:16:10 > 0:16:12which, in all honesty, is terrible.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15I need to talk to Rob.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17That's all I've done so far,
0:16:17 > 0:16:18so not great.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Better carry on. HE CHUCKLES
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Working in a warehouse is very different to the career Rob had
0:16:26 > 0:16:27as a graphic designer.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34I had some pretty amazing jobs.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39I actually worked in special effects on Superman 1
0:16:39 > 0:16:42and also the James Bond film Moonraker.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It was quite a glamorous lifestyle, really,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50and being the sort of person I am, I liked earning decent money.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53I spent it all because that's how I am,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55that's my character.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58If I've got something, I'll get rid of it.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59So I haven't got it left now.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03But gradually, the design contracts petered out
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and Rob had to look for other kinds of work,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08much of it in the low-paid sector.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11The worst job I had was cleaning trains,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14because you had to get underneath them
0:17:14 > 0:17:17and clean the underside of the train.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20It's all thick with grease and it all falls on top of you,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22it was pretty awful.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Pay for that job was more or less minimum wage,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28slightly over, but not a lot.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Rob needs to work, but finding the right job is proving difficult.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36I think it's quite a challenge when you're getting a bit older,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38you can't do some of the jobs you might have been able to do
0:17:38 > 0:17:40when you were in your 20s.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43You don't see any 40-year-old footballers, do you?
0:17:46 > 0:17:48All right there, Rob,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51I just wanted to give you an update of where we're at. OK.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Right now you're at the bottom, that's where it is at now.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00So, in this next hour now,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02what you're doing at the rate,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04we just need to step it up.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07You can become the leader in this next hour.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09So, just get cracking and move on.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11All right, pal? OK.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15It's disappointing to know you're the slowest.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19I'm 63, oldest one here
0:18:19 > 0:18:20and you've got these youngsters,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24they've been playing computer games since they were two years old.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27I'm very computer literate, you know, I do computer graphics,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29yet I'm right at the bottom.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37So, what is the situation facing workers aged 50 and over?
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Will a growing number find themselves looking for low-paid jobs
0:18:40 > 0:18:44and having to adapt to a very different labour market?
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Economist Chris Giles has been looking at the trends.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Are we seeing an older workforce doing low-pay work?
0:18:51 > 0:18:55We're seeing a huge increase in work among older people.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Some of that is because older people,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00when they're in their 60s and early 70s, don't feel that old
0:19:00 > 0:19:02and actually like work,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05but some of it is because pensions are quite low
0:19:05 > 0:19:07and they've been disappointed
0:19:07 > 0:19:10in what their private pensions are producing.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Now, I don't think we're seeing
0:19:12 > 0:19:13a lot of that disappointment quite yet.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16The group of pensioners who are retiring right at the moment
0:19:16 > 0:19:22are the most wealthy and richest pensioners we've ever had.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23Ten, 15 years' time,
0:19:23 > 0:19:28when people in their late 40s and 50s now get to retirement age,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30they will have much worse pension rights
0:19:30 > 0:19:33than the current crop of retirees
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and I think we're going to see a lot more of that then.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39So I think the rate of employment among over 65s
0:19:39 > 0:19:42is only going to rise and rise really quite rapidly still.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Is that going to be a problem?
0:19:44 > 0:19:48I think it's a problem if people are in work
0:19:48 > 0:19:50that they really don't like
0:19:50 > 0:19:54or if it's heavily physical work when they're older and frailer.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57So, there are potential problems, but also, I think,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00work is actually something that lots of people enjoy doing.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03So, so long as people have the ability, in some ways,
0:20:03 > 0:20:07to choose the sorts of work they do and have a nice experience
0:20:07 > 0:20:09in the workforce, then I don't see a big problem
0:20:09 > 0:20:11in older people working at all.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15Back at the warehouse,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18the workers have been picking for an hour and a half
0:20:18 > 0:20:20and Dan's seeing an increase in productivity.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23So something has just happened in the last ten minutes.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Sabrina's been struggling for the first part of the morning,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28but she's just clicked into gear.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35We've just seen her now hit the first green ten-minute period.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Let's see if she can do the next ten minutes just the same.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45And casual farm hand Berwyn, whose future in farming is uncertain...
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Two of these from location D - hand-picked.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49..is showing potential.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Berwyn's, you know, now starting to hit greens, which is great.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57That means he's at the same level as my workers have been here,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59what I would expect from those.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02To be honest, I'm feeling quite proud of myself.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05My worries were the technology, but I am succeeding.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08It's not in B4. It's not in B4.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10It's not in B4.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13But not everyone's managed to get faster.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16"Park item. Take action."
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Judy's in a bit of a world of pain at the moment,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22because she's making mistakes, I think she's getting confused.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25BLEEP BLEEP! I don't understand. They're not here.
0:21:29 > 0:21:3262-year-old Judy was a highly-experienced
0:21:32 > 0:21:33financial manager,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35but since being made redundant four years ago,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37she's struggled to find similar work.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41I'd been in finances for a long time
0:21:41 > 0:21:43and this was very hard-hitting for me.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47I didn't know what else I could do and also with my age,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I was no longer in my 20s and 30s now, I was now sort of 40s, 50s,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54it was getting more difficult to compete with the young crowd.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57With her white-collar prospects in doubt,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00taking part in the experiment is a chance for Judy
0:22:00 > 0:22:02to explore other options.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Look, guys, you're supposed to tell me, not just let me go.
0:22:08 > 0:22:09Over the past four days...
0:22:09 > 0:22:11It's very strenuous, it's very hard.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13..she's been challenged physically...
0:22:13 > 0:22:15It's a bit daunting, I'm daunted.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17..emotionally...
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Totally, totally, you know, out of order.
0:22:20 > 0:22:21..and mentally.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25The only difficulty I have with computers is that
0:22:25 > 0:22:28they're advancing so fast, I can't keep up with it.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31When I sit in front of my computer, I'm thinking,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33"What does that key do or what does this key do?"
0:22:33 > 0:22:34I feel inadequate.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36How do you know there's two?
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Because it's already said there was two. Oh.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44"Pre-picked fail. Cannot scan item with no barcode."
0:22:44 > 0:22:47It had a barcode.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Sugar, sugar, sugar.
0:22:50 > 0:22:5457-year-old agency chef Stephanie is one of the slowest pickers.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57She thought she'd got the hang of the job in training,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00but the reality is proving very different.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03C. Why don't you like that?
0:23:03 > 0:23:06A, B, C - you've got five in.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Come on.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13SHE SIGHS
0:23:13 > 0:23:18Our employees tend to be in their 20s, early 30s and, you know,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20they like to be on top of those scoreboards.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23They've grown up playing computer games and, you know,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26we're kind of plumbing into that a little bit, because there is, like,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28an incentive to be at the top.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31I'm not saying everybody's leaving work high-fiving each other,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34saying they've had a great time, but it's just a little more fun,
0:23:34 > 0:23:35"Who is going to be at the top of that list?"
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Right, I need to focus now.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44In the final ten minutes of picking,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47everyone tries to up their speed to get as many items as possible.
0:23:50 > 0:23:5230 B1.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Yes. Come on.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Right, guys, that's it.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01We're over, the shift has finished, so put down what you're doing.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03SCANNER BEEPS Done.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07The workers have picked for two hours.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10My brain and... It's really tired.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13It looks easy, but when you start doing it,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15it's not that easy,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and when you're under pressure...
0:24:19 > 0:24:21..it's not easy at all.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24They've completed a quarter of a regular shift.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28I'm actually tired.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31You could assume that it was literally just picking
0:24:31 > 0:24:33things of a shelf like a shopping list
0:24:33 > 0:24:36and just put it into a basket,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39but you do need to actually have a lot more concentration.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Now, they'll be packing...
0:24:43 > 0:24:48I find it easier if you use a knife, because it's faster.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52..and the workers will be trained by expert packer Diane,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54who will show them how to box up customer orders
0:24:54 > 0:24:58so they can be sent out by post and arrive in perfect condition.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03So, as you're packing, anything like this has to be taped.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06All your jars have to be bubble-wrapped.
0:25:06 > 0:25:07OK.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11If you have quite a few jars, you need to use a divider.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Right. These are dividers, yeah?
0:25:16 > 0:25:20To avoid refunds, it's crucial there are no breakages
0:25:20 > 0:25:21and no items missed.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Shipping around 45,000 items a day,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Dan's team achieve over a 99.9% success rate,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31and that's what he expects of the workers.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37You don't put tins, anything ever, you don't put with crisps.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39It's going to squash, going to break,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42then they're going to be no good.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47Processing up to 600 orders per day, packers also have to work at speed.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Dan expects them to box up an order every eight minutes,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54and there's around 80 items in each order.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57We're now going to be monitoring you every single second.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Right. So, good luck and let's get going, off we go!
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I think you know I'm going to do a lot better in this one.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Pick it up, it won't bite.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Pick it up. Like that?
0:26:10 > 0:26:11Scan it.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13While Dan's supervisors are on hand
0:26:13 > 0:26:16to make sure they're packing correctly...
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Martin, it's all wrong. Hm?
0:26:19 > 0:26:23This pop and biscuits together, no.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26..once again, the computer system will record every item
0:26:26 > 0:26:29the workers pack to measure their productivity.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Having a job where you're constantly monitored
0:26:34 > 0:26:37can add a bit of pressure to your job.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I think I work well under pressure, most times.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Yeah, I like to get the job done and know that there's a target
0:26:43 > 0:26:45to be reached, so I don't mind so much.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49As someone who runs his own business,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53fish and chip shop owner Stewart understands the value of monitoring.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Every job anybody does, at some stage, they have to be monitored.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01You can't just walk in and do a job and expect people just to let you go
0:27:01 > 0:27:05and do it without checking your work. It has to be done.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Without monitoring, you don't learn anything.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12I'm just trying to use my logic.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15In the first half, Judy struggled with picking,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17so will she fare better as a packer?
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Hey, Judy. How are you finding this part?
0:27:31 > 0:27:32Horrible. Horrible?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34I would have thought you'd be liking this. No.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37What don't you like about? I'm not understanding the logistics
0:27:37 > 0:27:41of how they pack and you can only go up to a certain time.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43I'm sure that you're going to excel at this, right?
0:27:43 > 0:27:47But based on what came from the previous job, on the picking,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50I wouldn't be asking you back here tomorrow if you worked for me
0:27:50 > 0:27:52based on what you did on that side.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54This is your opportunity to excel. Was I that bad?
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Was I that bad? You were in the lower two. Oh, my God.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01But on this side, from here, this is where you can excel.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05You know, you're dextrous, you're doing well, don't flap,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08this is perfectly within your skill set to do. OK? OK.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Keep going, you're OK, keep going.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13'I've tried my best, I thought I was better.'
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Judy, seriously, let it motivate you.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18They told me I was second to last.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Let it motivate you, keep going.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24'I've been in financial sales for years
0:28:24 > 0:28:26'and many people think that's stressful.'
0:28:26 > 0:28:28But I've never had to think like that in a job,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31where I have to think that I could be on the way out
0:28:31 > 0:28:33or I'm about to lose my job and that they're watching me
0:28:33 > 0:28:35every five minutes or every ten minutes,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37it was just horrendous.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38I just felt that pressure.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42It's not helping me, I'm not having a good day, been told that.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44What can I say?
0:28:47 > 0:28:49You all right? Cracking up.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51No, I'm cracking up. Are you finished? No.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Judy's 40 years older than most of Dan's warehouse staff,
0:28:55 > 0:28:57and when they were picking,
0:28:57 > 0:28:59the older workers were the least productive.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Is that OK there like that? Yeah.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05So, how is Rob coping with this task?
0:29:07 > 0:29:09I'm going to crush the crisps.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12How are you finding it? OK.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Is it all right? Yeah. I've worked in a warehouse before.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17When you would've started and you learnt this job inside out,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20our target is 60 orders.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22That's what you have to do in a day. Wow.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Do you think you could manage that? I'd work up to it.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28You'd work up to it? Yeah. THEY CHUCKLE
0:29:29 > 0:29:31You don't want to go too mad, do you?
0:29:32 > 0:29:34I like to pace myself, you see.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41What's Dan's computer system telling him
0:29:41 > 0:29:43about how the others are getting on?
0:29:45 > 0:29:47We're starting to see some people
0:29:47 > 0:29:49who are just starting to edge in front.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52It's quite close in this list.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56I can see here that Majka's packed over 200 kilos within one hour.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59She's level pegging with Leon with the amount of lines
0:29:59 > 0:30:03that she's packed and over 677 items.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05So, it really is going some.
0:30:07 > 0:30:12But being monitored has also meant that other people have improved.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Martin's getting a bit more confident.
0:30:14 > 0:30:15He's picking his speed up now.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21It's getting interesting now, cos I can see this table levelling up
0:30:21 > 0:30:24and I can see the people who are starting to click into gear.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Who's actually going to be the most productive?
0:30:26 > 0:30:27It's completely fluid.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36Stephanie, who was one of the slowest at picking, now knows
0:30:36 > 0:30:38she's one of the fastest packers.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41I like feedback, because it means
0:30:41 > 0:30:45that I'm sort of thinking I'm doing OK.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48Now I know I'm doing OK.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52I've got sweat on my brow and I'm effective.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55I am a happy bunny. SHE LAUGHS
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Now it's a final race to the finish.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Oh, you're joking.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06Everything fell out of my box.
0:31:06 > 0:31:07No, I'm not hitting it.
0:31:16 > 0:31:17Right, guys, that's it.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21We're over, the shift has finished, so put down what you're doing.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23For the past five hours,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26the speed and accuracy of their every move
0:31:26 > 0:31:28has been recorded and analysed.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30I couldn't do this as a living.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33I would find it very hard, I'd struggle.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38It has been difficult, yeah.
0:31:39 > 0:31:40You can only do your best.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45Yeah, I tried my hardest. Yes, that's all anybody can ask you.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47I know. Oh, come on.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49Judy.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52I just got so depressed with it all.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Let's go get some water, come on. I've got some make-up wipes.
0:31:57 > 0:31:58Come on.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07The workers are on their way back
0:32:07 > 0:32:08to the factory for their pay packets.
0:32:16 > 0:32:17For their five-hour shift,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20they'll be paid the pre-April rates of minimum wage...
0:32:20 > 0:32:24Hi. ..which was ?6.70 an hour before tax.
0:32:24 > 0:32:25Welcome back to the factory.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27You've completed another job,
0:32:27 > 0:32:29so I'd like to give you your wages.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30Berwyn. Cheers, mate.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Sabrina. Thanks, Sabrina.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Martin. Thanks, Martin.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42What can I say?
0:32:42 > 0:32:44This isn't pay packages, it's so little.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47And it's for all that effort, physical effort.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51I appreciate far more what they do now that I've seen it,
0:32:51 > 0:32:52the real world, myself.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57I do honestly think 6.70 is the right wage for that job.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Certainly, that job, to me, I would do for that money,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02I would do it for 6.70 an hour.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05So, who had the skills to thrive in warehouse work?
0:33:05 > 0:33:09Was anyone able to maintain the company's exacting targets?
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Mike Matthews, who's overseeing the experiment, is collating
0:33:12 > 0:33:16the productivity data that's come back from the warehouse.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19This is the first time they've been judged as individuals.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21It will suit some of them, but it won't suit all of them.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26Because the warehouse records work rates every ten minutes,
0:33:26 > 0:33:30Mike's able to see whether the workers improved over their shift.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32What's interesting about the monitoring,
0:33:32 > 0:33:36I'd expect that those at the bottom, if they were being monitored,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38they would have got better, but, actually,
0:33:38 > 0:33:39it seemed to make them worse.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44So, how do the workers compare to employees at the warehouse?
0:33:44 > 0:33:48The rate for an experienced worker is 360 picks
0:33:48 > 0:33:50and for a new one is 180.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Five of our workers didn't even pass the standard expected
0:33:54 > 0:33:58of new employees, but the top four did.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02What we noted about them about the most productive people,
0:34:02 > 0:34:04they really do know how to work fast.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06The top three - they've all had lots of jobs
0:34:06 > 0:34:08and they've all got a range of skills,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11so they all demonstrated they could learn and work very fast.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14HORN BLARES
0:34:22 > 0:34:24THEY GASP Oh, my God.
0:34:24 > 0:34:25With her years of experience,
0:34:25 > 0:34:29warehouse worker Majka came top of the productivity rankings.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35I feel proud of me, because I tried the best,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39I do everything what I can, so if I have any job,
0:34:39 > 0:34:41I always go to the work and give everything
0:34:41 > 0:34:44to being good and try the best.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49It's all right. Sorry, buddy.
0:34:49 > 0:34:5563-year-old Rob's output was six times slower than experienced staff.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59I think anything that requires a lot of speed
0:34:59 > 0:35:02and fiddling with the computer and stuff like that,
0:35:02 > 0:35:04I find it a bit difficult sometimes.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09I'm not a methodical person, you know, I'm a bit haphazard.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11It didn't fill up my environment, really.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14You can't stop and talk to somebody.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17I've been in many environments like that where you start
0:35:17 > 0:35:19to talk to somebody and the boss comes over and says,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21"We don't pay you to stand around talking."
0:35:21 > 0:35:22I find that difficult.
0:35:25 > 0:35:26I'm absolutely over the moon,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28cos I felt so close to the edge
0:35:28 > 0:35:30emotionally and physically and mentally.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Although I'm relieved, I feel very sad that he has to go.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36It could have been me, quite easily.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47We're over halfway through the experiment and the six remaining
0:35:47 > 0:35:50workers are about to do another shift in e-commerce,
0:35:50 > 0:35:54but this time, they'll be working in the high-end luxury market.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59Britain is the online shopping capital of Europe
0:35:59 > 0:36:02with 35 million of us buying at the click of a button,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05so rather than going into a shop to examine what we want,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08we enter a virtual world of perfect images.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12And when it arrives, we expect it to be just that - perfect.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15So online companies employ quality controllers
0:36:15 > 0:36:19who check every last detail of a product before it's shipped.
0:36:23 > 0:36:24Good morning, everybody.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25ALL: Good morning.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28This next job requires determination, patience
0:36:28 > 0:36:31and a keen eye for detail.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33It lies behind those doors.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34Good luck to you all.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37OK, guys, let's go and see what the next job is.
0:36:47 > 0:36:48In this section of the factory,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50we've set up our quality control centre,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54and the product our workers will be checking are tents.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01I've been camping twice, when I was young.
0:37:01 > 0:37:02I haven't made a tent before.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Someone gave me a tent, it's in the back of my boot,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06I've never opened it, so...
0:37:06 > 0:37:09I'm terrified, cos I never do like that.
0:37:12 > 0:37:13Good challenge for me now.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19They're about to do a four-hour shift working for John Harris,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22managing director of an online luxury tent brand.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25The last time I put up a tent was 20 years ago.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29I work too hard to worry about going camping.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33With a host of celebrity customers, from Rihanna to Fearne Cotton,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35quality control is paramount.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39It's vital for us that we get it right almost every time,
0:37:39 > 0:37:40if not every time.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44Each tent must be erected, checked and repacked to make sure
0:37:44 > 0:37:48that customers get a perfect tent every time.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50They're for the bottom of the legs.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53OK? So they go into the floor.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56The workers will be expected to quality control a tent
0:37:56 > 0:37:59every ten minutes, so they'll have to be fast.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Change after the third pole.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05They're your eyelets.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Right, guys, let's get to it. HORN BLARES
0:38:09 > 0:38:12One in five of the tents they've been given is faulty,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15and to ensure none slip through quality control
0:38:15 > 0:38:17requires exceptional attention to detail.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20John's own team of quality controllers
0:38:20 > 0:38:23will be monitoring their work and awarding points
0:38:23 > 0:38:25for correctly passed or failed tents.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30First up, they'll start with the simplest test - a sunshade.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35And they have an our to assemble and check as many of them as they can.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37I can't see the hole I'm supposed to put it in.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41It looks a bit wonky, doesn't it?
0:38:43 > 0:38:46The workers have to assess every detail of the sunshades.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50The guide ropes, the tent poles, the flysheets,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53making sure that every eyelet is in place,
0:38:53 > 0:38:54all stitching correct
0:38:54 > 0:38:56and every label attached
0:38:56 > 0:38:58and the print clear and undamaged.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02If there's any fault, then the tent is a reject.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06One of these rings are missing on the opposite side in the middle.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08So obviously, this can't be sold.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12What we're looking for in a quality controller
0:39:12 > 0:39:14would be somebody who is calm, somebody with a good eye
0:39:14 > 0:39:17and able to spot the mistakes, because mistakes are made.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Midway through their shift,
0:39:19 > 0:39:22the workers' individual results will be displayed on the leaderboard
0:39:22 > 0:39:25to see how it affects their progress.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27I think there's not much point in rushing this at all,
0:39:27 > 0:39:29because if you get any bit of it wrong,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32then I've just gone and wasted all my time.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Judy struggled with yesterday's task at the warehouse
0:39:36 > 0:39:38and narrowly escaped going home.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42I think in this task I have to be more calmed and controlled
0:39:42 > 0:39:43and less erratic.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46I think I've been erratic and nervous.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50I've got to reject this one... SHE CHUCKLES
0:39:50 > 0:39:51..after all that.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53The Made in Britain tag's missing,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56so I have to reject this one straightaway.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00John's company has just 14 employees,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03and half of them are involved in quality control.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Just how important is quality control for your business?
0:40:08 > 0:40:09I think it's vital.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13The idea that we have people who aren't happy with the product
0:40:13 > 0:40:16and they can spread that news nowadays very quickly
0:40:16 > 0:40:17through social media.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19So I think it's absolutely critical for any business,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21but for our business in particular.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23And how much do you pay staff?
0:40:23 > 0:40:25We start people, normally, on minimum wage
0:40:25 > 0:40:27and we hope to be able to increase their wages
0:40:27 > 0:40:32as their skill sets improve and as the company grows.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35Could you afford to pay them more?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Today no, but the business is growing,
0:40:37 > 0:40:41we've got big aspirations and, eventually,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45as we produce more sales and produce more profits,
0:40:45 > 0:40:47then the staff can share in those benefits, yes.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49So as the minimum wage goes up,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53there's talk that by 2020, it going up to ?9 an hour.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56How will that impact a small business like yours?
0:40:56 > 0:40:58I think staff are an absolutely vital part of the business,
0:40:58 > 0:41:02so we would look at reducing costs elsewhere
0:41:02 > 0:41:04before we reduce staff costs,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07and it might mean that we spend less on marketing or other operations
0:41:07 > 0:41:09within the business,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12which might affect the scale of growth of the business.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14This one's faulty.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18There's no eyelet on there. OK. I'll leave that to the side, yeah?
0:41:18 > 0:41:21The workers must report all faults to the monitors.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24There's another one.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28They're scored both on the faults they find
0:41:28 > 0:41:32and, if the tent is perfect, on their ability to repack the tent
0:41:32 > 0:41:35to the standard that's expected by John's customers.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41If I were to see this in a shop, I wouldn't buy it, if it was dirty.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44You'd normally ask for a clean one, wouldn't you?
0:41:44 > 0:41:47While others are finishing their second tents,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49Sabrina's still on her first,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51because she wants it to be immaculate.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58Sabrina's stepfather was a diplomat
0:41:58 > 0:42:01and she had the perfect life growing up in Yemen.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04I had one of the best childhoods.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06I was so spoilt, you know, everything.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Anything that I wanted, I would get it.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12You know, we had the drivers and the maids
0:42:12 > 0:42:15and it was just a life of luxury.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19You know, private schooling and it was really nice.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21But at the age of 17,
0:42:21 > 0:42:23she got married and came back to the UK
0:42:23 > 0:42:24with the hope of going to college.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30I wouldn't have imagined at the age of 23 I'd be divorced
0:42:30 > 0:42:33and I've got a five-year-old little boy, no.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35It's hard, like, bringing in the money,
0:42:35 > 0:42:38because there's only one of me, there's only one wage, but...
0:42:39 > 0:42:41..you've just got to keep going.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46To fit around childcare, Sabrina's started up her own business.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50So I clean business premises, personal houses.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52You would think it's easy, but it's not.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Doing the cleaning - it does half break your back.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56But with only a handful of clients,
0:42:56 > 0:43:00Sabrina's business isn't making enough money for her to get by.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04I don't want to be living my life like this forever.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07I don't want to stay in the low-wage economy. Who does?
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Even though being a perfectionist is slowing her down,
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Sabrina's sticking to her strategy.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19See, mine have got all marks on. This place is dusty.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24Sabrina's proving to be a little bit slow.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Trying to make sure everything's absolute perfect,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30but that really is slowing down her productivity.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35With ten minutes to go before they stop working on sunshades,
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Sabrina's only on her third tent...
0:43:38 > 0:43:40I'm not going to rush.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42..and the other workers are much quicker.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44I'm learning a bit more.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48Realising that I remember where my pole hole is.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Stephanie is checking a tent every 13 minutes,
0:43:51 > 0:43:53which means she's only just three minutes slower
0:43:53 > 0:43:56than one of John's experienced quality controllers.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59Oh, this is a failure.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02The eyelet is missing completely.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04This is a defunct tent, so I don't have to go any further.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10Since taking a career break because of illness in her family,
0:44:10 > 0:44:1257-year-old agency chef Stephanie
0:44:12 > 0:44:16has been unable to get back into catering management.
0:44:16 > 0:44:17I wanted to take part in this
0:44:17 > 0:44:20because I've been on both sides of the fence.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24I've been someone who's been forced to pay zero hours
0:44:24 > 0:44:27and now I'm on zero hours myself.
0:44:27 > 0:44:32Last year, I earned 13,000, but it wasn't enough to survive.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36I want to see if there's a better way of doing it than I'm doing it.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39Oh, sugar, I've walked all that way for nothing.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41Over the course of the experiment,
0:44:41 > 0:44:43Stephanie's found it hard to toe the line...
0:44:43 > 0:44:45Can we change this bed?
0:44:45 > 0:44:46We've got to get on.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49..but she's proved herself highly adaptable...
0:44:49 > 0:44:51I've found that when you do work like this,
0:44:51 > 0:44:53you don't need to go to the gym.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57..and she's making the most of the experience.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59I'm seeing all these different jobs
0:44:59 > 0:45:01and I'm realising that I've got all these different,
0:45:01 > 0:45:03well, potential skills,
0:45:03 > 0:45:05I might make a complete hash of this,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08but I could be a tent quality controller.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17Majka, who normally works in a warehouse as a forklift driver,
0:45:17 > 0:45:18is even faster.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20I don't have another one. I finish.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23She's finished five and has run out of tents to inspect.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28Hello. I think it's good going, I don't know.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31It looks as though you're doing a great job. Thank you.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34It looks as though you've got a very good eye for detail
0:45:34 > 0:45:36and you'd make a great person in our factory.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38Thank you very much, I try the best what I can.
0:45:38 > 0:45:43Very fast as well, which is great. Oh, thank you. OK? Thank you.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49I have been focused and I try find the way
0:45:49 > 0:45:53to making good without nerves and stress.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57I think that your emotion can only break your work.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06That shouldn't happen. Jesus!
0:46:06 > 0:46:10They've been quality controlling sunshades for over an hour...
0:46:10 > 0:46:11Be nice to me.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15..and the workers will now move onto another type of tent.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19But first, the productivity data collected so far
0:46:19 > 0:46:21is going to be used to motivate the workers.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26HORN BLARES
0:46:28 > 0:46:30The hour always goes too quickly.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Right guys, gather round, please.
0:46:35 > 0:46:36Come in tight.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Factory manager Mike runs a globally competitive car parts factory
0:46:41 > 0:46:45in Teesside, and he believes the public display of performance data
0:46:45 > 0:46:47is central to productivity.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53We're standing by a board here with stars and numbers.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56Yeah. It looks like some sort of incentivisation board.
0:46:56 > 0:47:00What's going on here? What we're doing here is we're telling them,
0:47:00 > 0:47:01"We know how you're performing."
0:47:01 > 0:47:04This is making sure that we have the optimum environment
0:47:04 > 0:47:07for productivity and quality. Right, does your leaderboard work?
0:47:07 > 0:47:11Well, you may notice, we don't have names, we have the cells.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13So, it's a group of people, they know who they are,
0:47:13 > 0:47:16they're aware of the numbers, and that's as far as we need to go.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18You're not actually naming and shaming, but, certainly,
0:47:18 > 0:47:21the cell who's doing the worst will know that they're at the bottom
0:47:21 > 0:47:24of the leaderboard. You find workers in an industry like this
0:47:24 > 0:47:26have got a great deal of pride, and those guys don't want to be
0:47:26 > 0:47:29at the bottom of the leaderboard, they want to be at the top.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31So, basically, what we're replicating in our factory
0:47:31 > 0:47:34is what's happening in a real-world environment. Absolutely.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37It's one thing monitoring team productivity,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40but some sectors, like call centres and retail,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43are taking it a step further by ranking individuals
0:47:43 > 0:47:46throughout the day and displaying it prominently
0:47:46 > 0:47:48so the whole workforce can see.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51This means everyone knows who's doing well and who's not.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58Majka's continuing her winning streak from yesterday...
0:47:59 > 0:48:01..and Stephanie's come second.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05I feel absolutely fantastic, I didn't expect to be there.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07I just need to maintain it.
0:48:08 > 0:48:09Sabrina's come last.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12It's all right. If I go, I go.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17Now that everyone's seen their results on the leaderboard,
0:48:17 > 0:48:20will the least productive be motivated to improve?
0:48:31 > 0:48:33I'm fine.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38How do you feel about being at the bottom of the leaderboard?
0:48:38 > 0:48:41I'm not surprised, cos I know I took a lot longer,
0:48:41 > 0:48:43cos I think I was maybe concentrating a bit too much
0:48:43 > 0:48:44on the detail. Yeah.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47I don't know... I do think I'm a really hard worker,
0:48:47 > 0:48:49but maybe it's because I'm not confident.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51I'm sure you can do it, you look very skilled,
0:48:51 > 0:48:53you just look nervous. I think you need to relax
0:48:53 > 0:48:55and just crack on with it. Yeah, I know.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59Bang in the middle of the leaderboard, Leon has come fourth.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02I've worked in environments where there's leaderboards
0:49:02 > 0:49:03and there's scoreboards,
0:49:03 > 0:49:06there's incentives for whoever comes first and things like that
0:49:06 > 0:49:10and, yeah, it works, it works.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13There's a feeling of satisfaction, knowing that you're top.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17And if you're not top, you are going to push harder.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20HORN BLARES
0:49:24 > 0:49:27Next, the workers must erect and check a wigwam.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30It's aimed at the children's market and designed specially
0:49:30 > 0:49:32to be simple and easy to assemble.
0:49:36 > 0:49:37Sorry.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43This tent is definitely a lot more fiddly than the last.
0:49:45 > 0:49:50I think that's the hardest part, remembering what part goes where.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52I'm finding this quite difficult.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56Every clip and buckle has to be checked.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59It's not as easy as it looks, not at all.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02But now the job isn't the only thing on people's minds.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06Yeah, Majka, she's top on the leaderboard again.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11She's doing really well in a lot of the jobs that we've been given.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13I'm second to last.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15I am bothered. I am trying my best.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19I just get on with it.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22I try to ignore the leaderboard as much as possible.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24If you're showing somebody that they're last on a board,
0:50:24 > 0:50:28it doesn't necessarily make them do the job right,
0:50:28 > 0:50:31all it does is put them under pressure,
0:50:31 > 0:50:33thinking "I'm last, I'm last."
0:50:35 > 0:50:38I'm panicking now, so I need to stop panicking.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40It's just got in knowing that I'm at the bottom.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46Is monitoring something that'll just be part and parcel
0:50:46 > 0:50:48of the low-paid economy or will it become the norm
0:50:48 > 0:50:51in other sectors of the labour market too?
0:50:51 > 0:50:53Hello, Mark. Hi there, good to see you.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55Economist Mark Beatson has been looking
0:50:55 > 0:50:57at who's going to be affected.
0:50:58 > 0:51:03How much are we going to see an increase in monitoring of staff
0:51:03 > 0:51:06to make sure that they hit targets to help increase productivity?
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Well, it's happening everywhere. I mean, to differing extents,
0:51:09 > 0:51:13because it does depend partly on the ability to be able
0:51:13 > 0:51:14to cut jobs down into little pieces.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17If you want to be recognised as being the best at what you do,
0:51:17 > 0:51:20then the best way of being able to show that is to measure it,
0:51:20 > 0:51:22so it can be positive.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26What experimental research shows is that people love being first
0:51:26 > 0:51:29and they really hate being last, so those are very powerful motivators.
0:51:29 > 0:51:30Is this inevitable now?
0:51:30 > 0:51:32With technology going the way it is,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35are we going to be seeing more and more of this in the workforce?
0:51:35 > 0:51:36I mean, the pressures for time
0:51:36 > 0:51:40are all the same at all levels of the economy. So it's not just
0:51:40 > 0:51:42low-paid workers who are going to see more monitoring,
0:51:42 > 0:51:44it's also going to be professional workers.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47Accountants, lawyers, doctors, anybody, really,
0:51:47 > 0:51:50where you can cut things down and measure them,
0:51:50 > 0:51:51and that's pretty much across the board.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Midway through their shift and Judy is currently third
0:51:56 > 0:51:58from the bottom of the leaderboard.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08For some bizarre reason, I can't get my brain around this one. Right.
0:52:11 > 0:52:12Right.
0:52:15 > 0:52:16Working at a managerial level,
0:52:16 > 0:52:19I've never seen these kind of in-your-face targets.
0:52:21 > 0:52:22I'm having a mental block.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27Seeing your name on that leaderboard is brutal.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35While Judy is finding it hard to cope with the pressure...
0:52:35 > 0:52:36I'm just being thick.
0:52:36 > 0:52:37Check.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40..Stephanie, who is in second place on the leaderboard,
0:52:40 > 0:52:41is getting more confident.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43Check.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47Each time I go round, I can do it in less steps.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49Next time, that one will be quicker.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55Martin was just below Stephanie, so he's trying to go more quickly.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09Martin was very fast in the way that he put the tent up,
0:53:09 > 0:53:12which was great, because we all like to see productivity,
0:53:12 > 0:53:15but towards the end, he rushed folding the tent up
0:53:15 > 0:53:17and almost stuffed it into the bag.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21And that really isn't what our customers want,
0:53:21 > 0:53:22they want a neatly-folded product.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24That tent's going to have to be
0:53:24 > 0:53:26unpacked and repacked, unfortunately.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29Oh, God, it pulls out.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32With just ten minutes to go,
0:53:32 > 0:53:33everyone is trying to add to their scores
0:53:33 > 0:53:37so that they move up the leaderboard.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39So that's correct or not, we accept that or not?
0:53:40 > 0:53:42Not acceptable, no?
0:53:42 > 0:53:43It's like a mathematical puzzle.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51HORN BLARES
0:53:55 > 0:53:57High-five. Come here. Give me a hug.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01Never take jobs like this for granted, cos you could end up
0:54:01 > 0:54:03doing the same thing yourself.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Before the workers find out who's going home,
0:54:10 > 0:54:12they'll be paid for their shift.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22You've completed another job, so now I'd like to give you your wages.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Stephanie. Thank you, Stephanie. Thank you.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29Martin. They've worked for three hours on minimum wage
0:54:29 > 0:54:34and at pre-April rates, they've earned ?20.10 before tax.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38It's a subsistence and, I think,
0:54:38 > 0:54:41for the amount of physical energy they put out for this kind of job,
0:54:41 > 0:54:43you know, the outside world should see what they do
0:54:43 > 0:54:45and they should pay them more.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48So how have the workers done as quality controllers?
0:54:48 > 0:54:51Have they shown the attention to detail and speed needed
0:54:51 > 0:54:54to do the job well?
0:54:54 > 0:54:57And did putting their individual productivity on display
0:54:57 > 0:54:58make a difference?
0:54:59 > 0:55:03Mike's been analysing the data to find out.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06The effect of the leaderboard in this task was really interesting.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09Essentially, we were monitoring our guys, and what that did
0:55:09 > 0:55:12for the guys at the front, it gave them confidence.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15But what it did for the guys that weren't doing so well,
0:55:15 > 0:55:17it undermined their confidence.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20In these conditions, the company would expect
0:55:20 > 0:55:24an experienced quality controller to get a total of 70 points.
0:55:24 > 0:55:29The least productive worker got just 43 points, that's a third less.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31But the best worker was just two points away from getting
0:55:31 > 0:55:34what the company would expect its own staff to score.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38The person who won this task
0:55:38 > 0:55:40won it because of their attention to detail.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43It enabled them to get great scores for quality and it also allowed them
0:55:43 > 0:55:46to be consistent, so they won the task really easily.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51HORN BLARES
0:56:03 > 0:56:0657-year-old Stephanie came top of the leaderboard.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11I feel absolutely amazing.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14I'm the oldest one that's surviving at the moment.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17The next person who wants not to employ me
0:56:17 > 0:56:18because they think I'm old -
0:56:18 > 0:56:20no, I can work hard.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23Judy came last.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27She got slower throughout the task, so she'll be the one going home.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33I've reached my limitation now and I think it's time for me to go.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36But I'm proud, I'm proud I got this far, I really am.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38Maybe it's a bit of a wake-up call,
0:56:38 > 0:56:41just to understand what happens out there in the real world.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44You've done well to make it here, you really have.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47I'm gutted for Judy, cos I know that she did try hard.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50And I know I only got through by the skin of my teeth.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54I feel so relieved. I'm really happy.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03Since taking part in the experiment, Judy's had some good news.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07I've been very lucky, I've managed to find myself a job.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11It's not perfect, but I'm earning money that can pay my bills.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13She's got a job as a sales executive,
0:57:13 > 0:57:15earning well above minimum wage.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19The alternative to that was that I would have probably had to
0:57:19 > 0:57:21have one of those kind of jobs in unskilled labour and,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24quite honestly, I don't know if I could've done them.
0:57:24 > 0:57:28I have a great deal of respect for people who do that kind of work.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31I cannot, by any means or form,
0:57:31 > 0:57:33match anything in the way that they do their job.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38And Rob's found work as a delivery driver for a health care company.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43Yeah, I love it, because I've always enjoyed driving,
0:57:43 > 0:57:44you know, being out and about.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47It's fantastic - seeing different places and meeting different people,
0:57:47 > 0:57:50they're always friendly. And in a way, you're your own boss,
0:57:50 > 0:57:52to some extent. Just being able to get on with it on your own,
0:57:52 > 0:57:55under your own pace, it's fantastic.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58I couldn't really want for anything better.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02Next time...
0:58:04 > 0:58:06Welcome to my factory, let's get you inside.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09..the workers are entering the world of manufacturing...
0:58:09 > 0:58:12This is how we can compete with places like China,
0:58:12 > 0:58:13India, Russia, Brazil.
0:58:13 > 0:58:17..where their resilience... I can't remember the next stage.
0:58:17 > 0:58:18..and endurance...
0:58:18 > 0:58:20I never want to see a flipping cushion in my life again.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24..will be tested to extremes.
0:58:25 > 0:58:29That's sewn the wrong way, and that one - you left a hole in it.