Who are ‘working people'?

Working people are top of the Government’s agenda. Making work pay is a priority. The Chancellor repeated the phrase ‘working people’ in her Spring Statement. It left me wondering who is and who isn’t included in ‘working people’.

The Government seems to define working people are those who get a pay packet and pay their taxes through the PAYE system. That excludes from the definition the 5.6 million micro and small business owners who work in their own businesses, rather than working in someone else’s business or in the NHS or the civil service or for the local authority.

The Government seems to define working people are those who get a pay packet and pay their taxes through the PAYE system. That excludes from the definition the 5.6 million micro and small business owners who work in their own businesses, rather than working in someone else’s business or in the NHS or the civil service or for the local authority.

Photo by Cory Schadt on Unsplash

I fail to understand the distinction. When I run my own business or work freelance, and I’ve done both at the same time, I don’t work 9am until 5pm and then clock off. I work apart from when I sleep. At all times part of my brain is ‘working’ even though outwardly it might look as if I’m watching TV, or eating supper, or walking the dog. Not only am I working but I’m not just doing one job as I would be doing if I were employed. I’m selling, creating content, working with partners and customers, thinking about my people, working out how to increase revenues, be more efficient and effective, innovate and create more jobs. What am I if I’m not a ‘working person’?

When times get tough and revenues fall these are the people who work on regardless of income. They cut their own salaries before those of their employees and when things are tough go without salary completely rather than lose skilled people. They are the people who take the risks, with their relationships, families, homes, in order to stay afloat. They risk sleeplessness and poor mental health, work through sickness and don’t take time off for the children or the births or the birthdays and anniversaries, forego holidays and have to cover their own illnesses and accidents.

People assume that everything you make in a business goes straight into your own pocket, but the only fraction of revenue that goes into the owner’s pocket is the bit left after paying rent, premises costs, business rates, insurance, wages, bills, interest on loans, equipment and vehicle leases, taxes etc, etc and that could be nothing at all.

I am fed up with the idea that I am less of a working person than someone who works 9 to 5 and gets a wage packet. It’s time to respect all the workers wherever they spend their working day. Without the small and micro businesses which generate half the jobs in the private sector and half of the economic growth there won’t be pay packets for other ‘working people’.