Transfers of Undertakings and the minimum wage - care home workers falling through the safety net?

This paper presents longitudinal research conducted into awareness of and attitudes towards the UK National Minimum Wage (NMW) through the perspectives and experiences of care homes workers in the North of England. The paper also reports upon the variation of care workers’ employment contractual rights caused by transfers of ownership of these care homes. The paper’s findings add to knowledge about the significance of a NMW to care workers focussing upon the insecurities articulated by these workers caused by the sometimes rapid changes in ownership regimes in the care homes industry.. The precarious nature of this work presents its own questions too about the efficacy of TUPE rules and regulations as applied to industry and, specifically in this paper, to care home workers. TUPE rules can sometimes be presented as a ‘safety net’ to workers faced by changes in care home ownership and other professions generally.