Exploitative practices experienced by international working students in Australia

Abstract

This study sought to examine exploitative practices experienced by international students working in Australia. Among the international students, more than 40 percent students work to make ends meet as 85 percent work in paid employment while 10 percent work on volunteer basis (Lawson, 2014). With these concerning figures, there have been concerns voiced in some parts of the media regarding how student-workers are treated by employers. The study delved into understanding what exploitative practices were prevalent in the region and experiences of international working students in the Australian labor market. The research approach utilized in this study was qualitative strategy where the researcher recruited ten participants for in-depth interviews. These participants were either currently international students or had been one in the past five years. All interviews had worked in Australia during their studies. The in-depth interviews were conducted via phone due to the restrictions imposed in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Research findings revealed many instances in which participants had been exploited by business owners at different times. Most of the participants were not happy with the working conditions due to prolonged work hours, underpayment, no work breaks/sick leave, and different types of harassment. The lack of knowledge regarding Australian work rights made them highly susceptible to exploitation. Despite the presence of organizations such as Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), the exploitation of international students continues. The study makes recommendations to Australian government and universities on how to tackle this situation. Students will also benefit from knowing about these suggestions.

Date of Award	2020
Original language	English