RAW DEAL FOR GRADUATES DOING SHOP WORK AND WAITING TABLES
Thousands of graduates are complaining they are being ripped off by so-called ‘zero-hours’ contracts, where employers expect them to be available for shifts – but have no obligation to give them any work at all.
The contracts have become especially common in low-paid jobs in the retail and hospitality industries, where many graduates have found themselves working as they struggle to secure a well-paid graduate role where their degree is valued.
And fears are growing that Britain is developing a generation of “precarious” young workers, doing part-time or casual work because they can’t find permanent, full-time work. In these roles, they often find themselves with low pay, few rights, little protection – and no stability.
One young man, working on a zero-hours contract at McDonald’s, told Newsnight that he has different hours from one week to the next – and is sometimes given his shifts late on Sunday night for Monday morning. He said:
“Some weeks you’ll get more hours than you can work, on days that you can’t work – and some weeks you’ll be desperately looking for extra shifts because you’ve got no money. The only people who have contracted hours are the managers who are salaried – the senior ones.
“There is no law preventing zero hours contracts, but there should be. They’re not fair – they’re not right. They’re exploitative. The free market is for companies, not for us. I’m not free.”
Yet McDonald’s insisted that said the majority of their staff are employed on an hourly basis, telling Newsnight:
“This suits the majority of our employees, since they are looking for shift patterns which give them flexibility to fit paid work around study, childcare and other commitments.”
It seems that the growth of these contracts is connected to the recession, as employers seek new ways to take on staff cheaply without any commitment.
According to the Office of National Statistics, the number of people on zero hours contracts has more than doubled since 2005 – and now 161,000 people are employed in zero-hours jobs. Usually, they are classed under by data collectors as ’employed’ – even if they are doing only one or two hours’ work a week.
As the latest unemployment figures – released last week – looked suspiciously good, serious questions were being asked about the type of work that people are doing. The Evening Standard’s business editor James Ashton suggested that the true picture of employment in Britain was being obscured by the number people who are part-time or self-employed. He wrote:
“Falling unemployment, now at the lowest level in a year, doesn’t tally with a weakening economy… Economists talk about the “casualisation of the workforce”, which makes the trend sound like a permanent dress-down Friday, but it is far more serious than that…
“All the talk of rebalancing the economy has given way to fashioning a recovery at all costs. If that means jobs of any sort, fine… But part-time pay means part-time spending – hardly enough to get tills ringing for struggling retailers, who are, of course, some of the biggest employers of part-time labour…
“A recent analysis by my colleague, the economist David Blanchflower, writing in The Independent, found that the swelling ranks of the self-employed are not necessarily good news either. You might think the extra 200,000 people working for themselves represents a rebirth of the entrepreneurial spirit that Britain is craving. However, many are forcibly self-employed after being made redundant.
“One-third of that figure is part-time, mainly women, engaged in paid chores such as cleaning and childcare. Instead of striking out on their own, it looks as though they are being forced to take on menial, low- paid work in lieu of anything better. Once again, it is the quality of the job that comes under scrutiny rather than the size of the overall workforce.”
For employers, zero-hours contracts offer the best of both worlds: immediate access to labour should they need it – but no obligation to use those workers should they find they don’t. But to Graduate Fog – and many employees – zero-hours contracts seem to be a very raw deal indeed.
*HAVE YOU WORKED ON A ZERO-HOURS CONTRACT?
Or been offered one, but declined? What do you think of this kind of arrangement? Is it fair that employees are expected to be available for shifts – but that their employer has no responsibility to give them any work at all? Should zero-hours contracts be made illegal? Or is some work better than none?
I always believe that some work is better than none – and I suppose it’s up to the individual to determine whether such radically flexible (for the employer) contracts are right for them.
However, I would never, ever, take up an arrangement like this.
As a side note, I think a challenge to these kinds of contracts in the courts would be interesting to observe. I would consider them not sufficiently certain to constitute an enforceable contract. As such, it’d be interesting to see what effect this would have under different circumstances (unfair dismissal, breach of contract, etc) or whether some purposive interpretation would make them enforceable.
The zero hours contract is completely unfair, you could be working essentially full time hours for weeks or months at a time, even working for the same company for a long length of time, come taking your holidays you are paid merely anything, which is completely unfair, you’re just forced to work obscene hours with no extra benefits. Another form of cheap labour. As stated above, ‘The free market is for companies, not for us. I’m not free’. Our employment rights are just getting dire by the second.
I’ve worked a few zero-hours contracts – mostly with agencies looking for temps. The biggest problem is then claiming housing/council tax benefits – I never knew how much I’d be working (and therefore earning) from week to week, if I was working at all, so I had to keep ringing the council and sending them payslips and contracts. It was ok for a job I knew I’d have work in, and how many hours – but a more recent agency job ended up costing more in benefits (and CRB checks) than I actually earned – I barely worked more than a day a month.
I had a zero hour contract at Waterstones last year. Apart from the difficulty they cause employees (who receive none of the benefits of being true employees, save whatever shifts they do get), they allow bad employers to cover-up poor resourcing, overworked staff and high turnover.
One morning I went in for a shift I’d had some notice for, but was asked to head straight back out to travel an hour to provide some back-up in a neighbouring branch. Before the conversation was over, I was also told there would be no more shifts for me for the forseeable future. My contract didn’t have to be cancelled of course.
I was lucky that I wasn’t dependent on that job to survive, but others in my position so easily might have been.
My workplace has stopped hiring permanent staff in favour of these zero hours contracts. However it seems to have backfired somewhat because while the employee is not guaranteed any hours they can turn down hours they don’t want to do.
For example many of them will turn down any hours after 5pm, many who have to commute in will only agree to whole days, when they get asked if they can come in for an hour or two they will say is not worth the train fare/petrol money and you often find that none of them have agreed to come to work on a sunny Friday because they don’t have to.
I don’t like this idea that zero hours contract staff should just be sitting by the phone all week waiting to be called in to work. Its not unreasonable to want to be given a timetable for the week ahead so that you can make plans, use your spare time to study or work another job. As a previous poster said trying to claim necessary in work benefits must be a logistical nightmare with this kind of work.
Employers need to understand that commitment goes both ways.
It’s not only employers who try to force you into unsuitable terms and conditions, but the Jobcentre, too.
I was nearly lured into a position where I could be open to a zero-hours contract and other casual work by my Jobcentre personal advisor, and a few weeks later the Jobcentre tried to force me into accepting something similar to a zero-hours contract. When I first claimed JSA, my advisor left blank the section on the Jobseekers Agreement regarding whether I wanted to limit the hours and days I wanted to work. I pulled him up on this and stated that if I signed the agreement leaving that section blank, I would be obliged to take any work. You are allowed to state what days and hours you are prepared to work in accordance with the norm for the type of work you are looking for.
In the second instance, the Jobcentre arranged for an agency to use the Jobcentre building for interviews. What seemed clear on the vacancy advertised turned out that, although full-time work was available, some weeks I might not be working and my contract would be on an as-and-when-required basis. I stopped the interview at the start when told this and walked out. The Jobcentre had submitted me for this vacancy by sending me a text message and informed me that if I didnt apply for it I would lose my benefit. Along with the casual nature of the job, I would be expected to be available between 6am and midnight any day of the week. The Jobcentre had basically torn up my Jobseekers Agreement. It was only because I complained about the misleading job advert and Jobcentre staff behaviour that I was able to keep my benefit. They backed down. I suspect they deliberately tried to force me into accepting a totally unsuitable job and didn’t expect me to kick up a fuss.
I have 6 members of staff on Zero hours contracts. Each of them are happy with the arrangement as they all have other things going on which restricts their availability.
They get 1 month notice of what I need covering (always 8 hours shifts inc paid 1 hour lunch) and between them they cover all the shifts. There’s no in-fighting or hogging of shifts and there’s no unfilled shifts. They are paid well above minimum wage (actually double) and their hours are totted up and accrue paid holiday – Obviously they don’t take holiday but when they have accrued a sensible amount I pay them the equivalent.
Any extra work that comes up sick cover etc is offered out on a round robin basis until someone is found who can cover – nobody is ever penalized for not taking a shift.
As long as both parties are on the same page and treated fairly they work fine.
Coincidentally I’ve often offered these guys FT positions only to be knocked back as the Zero hours suits them and their other commitments.
Lets try to avoid typical GF knee jerk reactions please. Nobody is under obligation to take a zero hours contract – Brians example is appalling and the JC need to stop that. Catherine’s example again is awful – this is why I offer shifts, not part shifts. Any company who does treat staff like that deserves trouble.
Lets not tar everybody with the same brush!
Yeah, got to agree with Rob here. When I was a student my 0 hours contract worked out great because I could easily vary the amount of shifts I took week to week- pile them on in slow times and have only a couple in busy times.
The real problem is that people are completely desperate for any work and are not finding enough remunerative activities to sustain themselves independently.
Rob: As long as managers are organised and plan ahead with the rotas it is all fine with 0 hour contracts. Especially if you are a student. I have had both good and bad experiences with 0 hour contracts. I had a manager who always planned long ahead with the rota recently, and then the job I had before it was never done until like a week before the shifts was going to be done, which was so frustrating as you never could plan ahead and you never knew if you are gonna work 1 day or 6 days. So I think it is all down to management.
The other downside is tough that sometimes you do not get the holiday pay you deserve. When I worked in Denmark it was actually sorted through a “government scheme” called “ferie konto” (holiday account directly trasnalated). Employers simply had to pay in the 12,5 % of hours you worked for holiday. It might be more admin involved but at least you got a fair holiday pay and never needed to fight to get your money.
Matilda, from a bit of research, it appears that holiday pay for casual hours is determined differently in the UK than it is for regular workers (so that entitlement cannot be denied).
I believe the paid holiday time is calculated as 10.8% of total hours worked over the course of the holiday year.
Craig: I talked of course about what holiday rate is in Denmark there, as I couldnt remember the exact percentage of UK holiday entitlement, but if you work 100 hours one month you are of course legally allowed holiday for these 100 hours, and if you work 60 hours next the same should apply. But I find it has been to many times a complete mess when actually getting the pay! I was on a 13,5 hour contract during my studies, but I worked more hours and the woman responsible for the payment refused to give me more despite I actually worked more.
Matilda: No, I understand you were talking about Denmark. But the system does work similar in the United Kingdom.
Essentially, regular worker’s holiday entitlement is calculated as an average number of days worked over the previous 12-weeks. But naturally, if you give someone minimal shifts on a zero-hour contract over 12-weeks, then that could mean holiday entitlement is minimal.
So I think it’s calculated as 10.8% (that figure may be wrong) over the whole course of employment in the holiday year.
Just because employers do it in this country doesn’t mean it’s legal — employers are notoriously bad at honouring what they call “red tape” and we consider “basic employment rights”.
Although the focus here is on zero-hours contracts, many employers use several types of contracts to manage their business. So, the argument has to be considered within the wider context. Some use Outsourcing as a means both for cutting overheads and threatening their workforce. When a company outsources its Customer Services, for example, it no longer employs Customer Service staff and the Outsourcing company hires and fires at its own discretion and turnover is high. While zero-hours contracts might suit some people, it should not be encouraged in the current economic climate where employers are calling for less employment regulation and more flexibility. The UK already has the most flexible labour force in Europe. Employee protection and fair terms and conditions are constantly being eroded through common practices such as outsourcing, as well as dismissal of a workforce and then hiring of the same workforce but under new terms and conditions resulting in less pay and longer hours. Overtime at time-and-a-quarter is steadily being wiped out of the labour market and 40 hours is becoming the standard working week. Creative accounting often fools young workers into signing a ‘permanent’ contract which employers intend to last for three months for the majority; young workers cotton on, but by then it’s too late and they’re already being prepared for dismissal.
So, although I do not tar all employers with the same brush, let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that zero-hours contracts is anything but a scam in relation to the majority of employers in the UK.
To the people who were fine with 0 hour contracts when they were students: How did you survive during the times when you didn’t ‘need’ to work? I had a zero hour contract at a job when I was a student and when my hours were changed from 15 a week to 9 a week without notice, I nearly had a nervous breakdown because I was barely scraping by as it was. It didn’t matter how much coursework I had – I needed to pay for food and rent so I needed to work.
Sarah – If your hours were changed from 15 to 9 then it’s not really a zero hours contract – that’s sounds more of a part time contract where you have obviously been messed around. In my case there is always X number of shifts that need filling every week – never any less and usually more when holiday cover comes into play. Some companies and managers (like me) play fair some don’t – If you need a certain number of hours per week then zero hours is obviously not for you.
I applied for a demonstrating job (demonstrating Apple Products) for the christmas period Dec 2011, for which a commitment of 16 hours was required. However, when discussing the position further with an agency rep, the expectation was that, in addition to the stated hours, the candidate would be available as and when needed – but would have to sign off the unemployment register.
If something looks like a zero hour contract, I wish the employer well in recruiting candidates, and also those candidates who will be treat as mere be-atches.
Sounds like a standard part time contract to me that, Eowyn… What’s the problem?
I graduated a year ago with an English degree and so far have found myself doing the odd volunteering placement, but mainly working part-time in a clothes shop on an 8 hour contract. I can’t imagine being on a zero hour contract because I’m struggling enough as it is.
Even on an 8 hour contract I have similar frustrations in that one week I work 8 hours, but the next I could be working 30. This is all dependent on the full-timers’ holidays so I am basically expected to sit around and wait for the hours to become available when people book time off. If I do make plans, my manager gets annoyed but he doesn’t let me know my hours until the very last minute so it’s difficult to balance my 4 hour shifts around my plans.
Although I am very grateful for this job; it keeps me sane and keeps some money coming in, it is an increasingly frustrating position that I find myself to be in. I can’t get out of my overdraft and to be asked to come in for a 3 hour shift is pointless for me. An hour’s pay goes on travel to and from work, so to be paid £12 is a bit of a kick in the teeth when all I want is a full time contract.
I worked on a similar contract in a different company whilst at uni, and this suited me fine because my committments were to my degree and not to my job. I was happy to work 8 hours a week because the rest of my time was spent studying.
But to offer a graduate a zero hour contract is ridiculous. If I was 16 and at college I would be made up, but I’m 22 and I need to start earning a decent wage and not be taken for granted.
Amy says it so well! If you are on a zero hour contract during your studies it can be a win win for employers and employees, as long as rotas are planned in advance and not last minute!
Also I feel that zero hour contracts sometimes are treated as…. having a contract similar like flight attendants sometimes do have (I do not know the name of this in English but will do my best to explain).. Basically they are aware of that they might be needed for ad hoc shifts, and then they will be called to come to the airport if needed, but they do get a basic pay for being available on short notice, and then obviously more if needed for shifts. But instead you are expected to be available on ad hoc basis for nothing extra…!
Matilda – They are “on call”.
I’m fairly certain that any time spent “on call” or “on standby” (as it’s sometimes referred to) must be paid the national minimum wage.
As a follow-up to the BBC Newsnight programme, the Work Foundation has written a fair and balanced article, http://www.theworkfoundation.com/blog/872/Zero-hours-contracts-and-the-flexible-labour-market.
I’ve been on a zero hours contract with a major department store since I left school for university, and it has been nothing but a huge support throughout my studies, and now beyond. I let my manager know when I am back in my hometown, she gives me as many shifts as she can, and I do the job I have been doing since I was 17. It isn’t always exploitative – it can be a flexible way of working for young people.
i think zero hours contract is a good idea. However, the employee must have the right to say no when they are unavailable for work
I run a small business, there are only 2 of us and our PA who works on a 10 hour contract. Although I can understand the issues with job security, and can see why it’s difficult to plan on such a programme. I think people need to understand exactly why 0 hour contracts exist, they exist in businesses where business can ebb and flow and they need to meet that demand, as positive as it may sound for an employee security basis, businesses, and small businsses in particular can not support a large full time staff when the work varies so considerably, taking a hard employers line why should they pay for an employee to sit around when there is nothing to do, this however is a double edged sword, employers must also realise that the lack of security is 2 way, and if the employee wants to refuse a shift or move to a batter job at any time they can do, and as such the business loses all the time that they have trained that person.
Zero-hours? Why bother employing a UK worker on such a basis, where you have to pay the minimum hourly rate, when you can outsource the work to China, where the workforce is becoming more educated and trained, yet prepared to work for a tiny fraction of a UK wage? Or why not just move the entire company to China?
UK workers have become a burden to the cut-throat small employers, who blame the competitive market which ‘forces’ them to use practices such as zero-hours contracts. If you cannot afford to properly invest in UK workers, then don’t set up business in the first place!
Brian, most zero hour contracts are in retail and hospitality as far as I’m aware.
I don’t see my pint being poured or items clothing in a clothes store being checked out by someone outsourced and located in China.
I work 0hr and it’s a waste of my time. Ban them completely, totally unfair.
Another issue with zero hours which kind of relates to the busk to work story is that a lot of people have expensive journeys to work, whether its petrol or rail fare. They will need to consider if the hours worked will justify the cost to get there.
We had several people complain that they were being called in and sent home after 2 or 3 hours which isn’t great when you’ve travelled 2 hours to get to work and it costs an hours wage or more to get there in the first place. They were regarded as complete divas just for wanting to know how many hours they would be doing.
I work a zero hour contract,usually get about 50 hours a week but if you dont do shifts you are asked to do its as if you can be blackmailed as in my work they wont give you any hours the following week for not doing the shift they asked
I am on a zero-hour contact. I took the job as I wanted hours that I could control, but now I would like more hours as I soon found out that the job that I so desperately wanted payed little. I approached my boss and said I am now available to work full time. I thought I had this issue clear, however it doesn’t mean that I get my hours, as for the past 2 weeks I have worked 0 hours. I have one shift this weekend its a 5 hour one which isn’t really going to benefit me on the long front money wise. I would not recommend a zero hours contract to anyone. It is very frustrating not knowing when you are going to be working or not knowing whether you are going to have a good week (lots of hours) or a bad week (no hours at all). Also as I am not at work much I feel as if I don’t know the other employees as well as I should do as unfortunately I don’t have the gift of the gab like some of the other employees. So as a result I feel uncomfortable at work and going to work and I feel like I can’t talk to my managers as I don’t really know them. As a result of this “Job” I am desperately seeking employment elsewhere.
I was given a zero hour contract and wasn’t even told. I thought I was on an 16 hour contract as I work every Saturday and Sunday 2-10.I am also a full time student so have no time off at all but need the money. It was only when I went to book holidays that I got told I dont get any paid holidays as im on a zero hour contract. As I signed nothing when I started I did not have a leg to stand on!
I would recommend you speak to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau or a solicitor. They’re breaking the law there, Sarah.
You’re only ripped off if you take the job. I was offered it once and said thanks but no thanks good bye.They only get away with this crap because people accept it
I, m on a zero hours contract like all others i work with I, ‘ve asked for a reference for a new job . I, ‘ve not handed my notice in yet still waiting to hear from my new job when I, m ready I, m going to give 4 weeks notice but now my hours have been cut completely I only usually do 16 hours a week now to zero while others whom I work witha’re getting 40 hours plus is there anything I can do ? I, m left now with no work right on top on Xmas
Hi I work at a retail sports store on a zero hour contract I can’t find any other work in my area that I’m qualified to do, so I’m limited to having to take the work when it’s available, I’m Barely scraping a 25 hour week and have a house and bills to pay for, I’ve just recently broken my arm at a football match and now find myself unintitled to anything. Wheres the loyalty and justice from the government allowing these sorts of contracts to still exist? I know things are tight for an awful lot of people but does that really mean the wealthy should get to exploit the poor? We are one step above a slave labour. Let’s put our government on a zero hour contract lets see how you survive. Without the people a government governs no one.
I work a zero hour contract in the NHS. It’s a complete con. They say the pay is good because you get an uplift instead of holidays but the pay scale is lower than the normal pay scale so I end up with less than people on normal contracts and with no holiday pay, sick pay or anything else. The hours called on are incredibly erratic too. I’ve done no work this week and have just one day next week. I’d dearly love a proper part-time job but they are hard to find in the NHS.
Because zero hour contracts are so poorly defined , they are often up for grabs in their interpretation in employment law and they seem to frequently back-fire against the employer in test cases taken against the employer .
If you are zero hours worker and over a number of years you work steadily with even income and expectation from both sides , a court might deem you to have various implied rights over such things as redundancy maternity and dismissal (THAT ARE NOT EVEN WRITTEN INTO THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT ) – ESPECIALLY if it can be shown that there was mutual obligation in the implied contract between the 2 sides .
As a zero hours worker , you might just be in a far more powerful position than would seem from your contract : custom and practice also comes into play , and you may be able to prove that an employer has refused you hours , cut your hours drastically etc – but custom and practise would give you a case to claim wages that were wrongly denied – In effect , you can’t decrease a zero workers established hours ( over a period of time ) or lay them off by the back door by simply not offering them hours , while it can be shown that others are getting work . You cab sue the employer
BASIC POSITION
The expression “zero hours (or nil hours) contract” is not legally defined. It is a day to day name for a contract under which the employer does not guarantee to provide work and pays only for work actually done.
Until 1994, employees working under zero-hours contracts could very rarely (if ever) build up a sufficient period of continuous employment to qualify for statutory rights which require a minimum period of employment, such as the right to claim unfair dismissal.
However, since 1994/95 the requirement that employees have to work a minimum number of hours per week to build up a period of continuity has been abolished. As a result, like other Part-time workers , those working under zero hours contracts can now sometimes qualify for statutory employment rights which require a minimum period of service (see Qualifying periods of service for rights/an outline summary ).
http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKEAT/2012/0123_12_0608.html
describes a case where zero hour workers screwed their employer into the ground and won substantially :
The Employment Judge correctly found that each of the Claimants was employed under a contract of employment which was global in nature. This being so, he also correctly found that each of the Claimants had the requisite continuity of employment. This established that they had full rights
NICHOLA – consult your Union or CAB , take employer to tribunal ; stop these b*****ds getting away with unlawful practises , like ” deprivation of wages ” , Custom and Practise should be on your side
I have been working on a 0 hours contract for over a year now. I wouldn’t recommend this type of work, although it might appeal especially to students.
I was in my third year of a bachelor’s degree when I started working for my ’employer’. To begin with, there were plenty of hours available- days, nights, full shifts, half days- you name it. It has gradually got worse to the extent that I get called into work at a very short notice or my shifts are given away if a permanent member of staff requests overtime.
I have also found it very difficult to complete necessary training (I have had to pester the HR to notify me of any upcoming training sessions) and we aren’t offered any kin of supervision which would be useful in the kind of environment we work in.
The communication within the workplace is generally poor and the place struggles with a very high staff turnover. I’d happily work on a part-time basis, but my employer only employs people on full-time contracts and I’m in the middle of my Master’s degree.
To make matters worse, our hourly rate has been reduced.
I have been working on a zero hours contract in a retail environment for 10 months now. I was regularly working 16 hours a week ( a number of hours that I agreed upon with my manager when she interviewed me) and this was all fine. Occasionally I did extra hours when they needed and I am considered a Permanent member of staff by the company. During the Olympics, the company took on a load of temps on a lower hourly wage rate than myself and my permanent colleagues on zero hours contracts. When the predicted retail frenzy failed to appear, myself and my colleagues found our hours cut (often to a token 4 hours a week), whilst the temps on a lower wage were given full time hours. This was despite an order by our company for all us regular workers to make ourselves available throughout the olympics….to which we all duly complied. Now I find that the same has happened at Christmas. The company has taken on more temps and whilst I find my hours slashed to 10 hours a week – even though I am available for at least 16 hours – the (lower paid) temps are given 30-40 hours a week. Surely if an employer has permanent zero hours workers, they have a duty to give them the option of the hours first and then fit the temps in around this? Does anyone know if custom and practice overs this at all?
Custom and practise may overide any written stuff , and if they are depriving you of hours / income , you could win at tribnal – especially if you’re their employee and the others are agency workers and the company practise is to use their own staff first.
My mate got £10 000 out of court settlment as the employer got it all wrong . If they contradict or fail in some of their own internal procedures , then you have got them and they either pay up at court or out of court . It is often quoted that you CANNOT reduce the weekly hours of a zero hours contract . Join a Union , any union , as a preliminary .
Get the money …….then mobilse , canvas , vote … destroy this government and it’s hatred of the ” poor ” (ie 50 % of US ) . Oh …and make sure the Libdems are wiped out FOREVER
First check with your union if you have full employment rights or how long you have to sit it out until you have dismissal / redundancy / maternity rights ….then wait … and then screw them for £10 k
These zero hour contracts are vile. They give loopholes to bad companies to abuse their staff. My wife works as a home care worker yet gets paid no waiting time between jobs, no drive time money between jobs, She gets up at 05:00 for a 06:00 start seven miles from home and doesn’t normally get back until 11:00 frequently out of the house for 80 or 90 hours a week working and driving frequently without a break she will get paid if she is lucky 50 hours pay for the 80 or 90 antisocial hours that she works. Petrol is paid at less than 20% of what sales people get so she can at times pay to go to work.
Something needs to be done about these contracts urgently. In the interim if you are thinking about going on one refuse it as they are worse than no job at all.
I currently have a 6 hour contract which is no better than 0 hours ive been at the same supermarket for 5 years but they dont care how the hell can you pay bills with no money they should give you what jobcentre do seen as its what people need to live on atleast what a joke the uk is im on verge of telling my employers were to go.
I am also working in finance sector but i do not know more about zero hour contract… So please let me know more about zero hour contract..And thanks for this nice post…
You can find a lot of info on redundancyforum.co.uk. or example the thread on zero hours gives a paraphrase of last year’s Pulse Health care ruling in High court Broadly , this found that the zero hours contract people had signed was a load of rubbish and the judge as it were said that IT DID NOT describe the reality o their contractual practise at work . The workers then won a huge personal victory in the face of what might a titanic capitalist oppressor .
If you are fortunate enough to get into a situation where you fall into a mutuality with your employer where you agree to work set amout of shifts a month or year and if this practise does continue over a period of time then your “zero hours ” contract could be seen as NOT a zero hours contract… but something more like a part-time or even casual contract