For years, Focus on Labour Exploitation and other organisations have raised the alarm about the Seasonal Worker Scheme, and the ways in which its design facilitates exploitation.

What has gone unaddressed for too long are the ways in which the scheme puts women workers at particular risk of harm and exploitation.

Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX)’s new briefing, “Uneven Fields: women workers’ experiences of the Seasonal Worker Scheme”, directly confronts the realities that migrant women are facing in the fields.

While many of the problems faced by seasonal workers are experienced by workers of all genders, women are often hit harder than men by these issues.

But it’s not just these general problems that set women apart in the scheme; the gendered dynamics within the system create specific, unique risks for women workers. In this way, women on the scheme are pushed to the margins of an already precarious workforce; it is time we paid attention.

Watch: The Fuller Project’s video on gendered data in the Seasonal Worker Scheme

We know there are gendered problems, with individual instances of exploitation and abuse. But without public data about even just how many women are on the scheme, how can we know how far and deep the problem goes?

We know there are gendered problems, with individual instances of exploitation and abuse. But without public data about even just how many women are on the scheme, how can we know how far and deep the problem goes?

FLEX Training Programme: What do trainees think?

FLEX has been proud to offer training to local frontline organisations whose service users face heightened risk of exploitation.

We asked two organisations trained with us to share their experience with FLEX’s workshops.

Read their thoughts here.

September 8, 2025

FLEX Training Programme: What do trainees think?

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Job Alert: FLEX Director of Operations

We are recruiting a Director of Operations, to lead the development and smooth running of the systems, processes, and culture that enables FLEX to deliver its mission effectively.
The Director of Operations will serve as a key member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and a key driver of our organisational strength. You will oversee day-to-day operations across human resources, finance, governance, and key compliance areas such as data protection and health and safety.

Working closely with the CEO and the SMT, you will implement and continually improve our operational plans, infrastructure, and procedures, ensuring they are efficient, legally compliant, and aligned with our values. Your leadership will foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing environment, enabling the team to focus on achieving FLEX’s strategic goals.

Salary: £54,000
Contract: Fixed term, 2 years
Hours: Full time, equivalent to 37.5 hours per week (option to work part time at 0.8 FTE / 30 hours per week)
Deadline for applications: 6th October, 12pm (midday)
Recruitment Panel and Staff Panel interviews on weeks commencing 13th and 20th October

Click for details and how to apply 

In Case You Missed It: Report – Shining a light on Dark Kitchens

Dark kitchens are used for food ordered online; meals are prepared, ready for delivery, with no space for customers to enter and dine. These kitchens are usually located away from busy streets, in areas with low footfall, such as within shipping containers in car parks or industrial estates.

The rise in work derived from such platforms has transformed the places in which work happens, by altering how it is organised, managed, and performed. The increased remoteness and decreased visibility of these kitchens compared to traditional restaurants may be leading to less scrutiny, sociality, and security for those who work in them.

Whilst studies on changing consumer trends and the rise in dark kitchens exist, there is very little research available on first-hand experiences of working in these emergent kitchens.
FLEX’s report seeks to understand the general conditions of dark kitchens work, and identify how regulation and labour market enforcement could improve conditions for the dark kitchen staff around the UK, cooking thousands of meals every day, behind closed doors.