Young, Broke, and Told to Smile

Original article: Almost half of young workers expected to work unpaid overtime, while a quarter aren’t paid compulsory super

Commentary:

You get your first job. You're excited, eager, and broke.
Then your boss says, “Can you stay late to help close?”
You do unpaid. You shrug, “Guess it’s just part of the job.”

No, it’s not. That’s wage theft, and it’s happening everywhere.

A new Australian study just confirmed what a lot of us already suspected: employers are quietly stealing from young people. Not just through low wages, we’re talking unpaid overtime, no retirement benefits (called “superannuation” in Australia) and sometimes no pay at all.

Some were paid in food instead of money. Others were made to buy their own uniforms or return part of their paycheck to the boss.

Let that sink in.

What’s going on here?

The Fair Day’s Work project surveyed 2,814 workers under 30. The results? Brutal:

43% worked unpaid overtime

24% didn’t get mandatory retirement pay (super)

34% worked trial shifts for free

9.5% were paid in products

8% had to return part of their pay

36% couldn’t take legal breaks

60% had to pay for work-related gear

And this wasn’t just shady corner shops, this was across retail, food service, education, even government sectors.

What is ‘super’?

In Australia, employers are supposed to contribute a percentage of your pay into a retirement fund called superannuation (or “super”). If your boss isn’t paying it, they’re literally stealing your future.

Why don’t young people fight back?

Because they can’t afford to. Many are on temporary visas, casual contracts, or need a reference. You speak up? You get fired, or blacklisted. Plus, when it’s happening to everyone, it starts to feel… normal.

It’s not.

One young worker told the researchers:

“You don’t complain. You just smile, nod, and hope you get enough hours next week.”

This is how capitalism treats people starting out: as cheap, disposable, and scared.

Antiwork isn’t just about quitting your job or being lazy (despite what media tries to paint it as). It’s about exposing a system that profits from your obedience and silence.

It’s asking: Why are we working ourselves to the bone and still broke?
Why are companies allowed to do this and still call it “legal employment”?
Why are we accepting work without dignity, rights, or basic decency?

The answer: We shouldn’t.

What can be done?

The study gives six recommendations:
better enforcement, digital tools to track abuse, stronger penalties for wage theft, and fairer pay structures.

But here’s the truth: none of it works if people stay silent.

If you’re young and working, here’s what you can do:

Know your rights (Google your country’s labor laws)

Track your hours religiously

Speak with coworkers, you’re likely not alone

Don’t work trial shifts for free

Don’t let “grateful” become a trap

If you’ve ever felt guilty for wanting more money, more rest, more respect just know you’re not the problem. The problem is a system that demands more and more from the people who have the least, and calls it “experience.”

You’re not lazy, You’re just tired of being exploited.