How 0 hours contract really benefit the employees who do not have enough hours?

@AworkQuestion0hours if you need set minimum of hours can you not just leave and find somewhere that will commit to regularly having the hours for you? Otherwise you'll be having this problem forever - yes it sucks, but for the people who want 0 hours contracts it works.

It doesn't work for everyone but does for some people. When I did zero hours it worked for me as I could pickup work when I was around. If I had applied for a full time job with contracted hours no one in their right mind would have wanted me as I couldn't work for 10 week periods.

I also used to work zero hours as a student. It was fab for me. In holidays i would pick up up to 40 hours a week, but then I would disappear off to university for a few months at a time.

Ime if you turn down shifts you won't be offered so many. It's all in the employer's favour - they get exactly the amount of labour they need, calculated down to the last hour of manpower, without having to bother themselves about pesky details like long term planning for recruitment, retention and training : why would you? You have a constant pool of slightly surplus labour at your disposal that doesn't cost you anything to keep on hand.

That's not what they said at all!

I used to have a zero hours contract as a student. It was great and really flexible. I worked for an events business (waitressing) at lots of nice venues. It wouldn’t be appropriate as a person with responsibilities.

I am not a fan of zero hour contracts, but that is not what the poster said. They said that first choice of hours goes to reliable staff who turn up for work. On other types of contracts, unreliable staff who don't turn up for work generally get sacked!

Mr Monkey works in retail. They have a lot of 0 hours or low hours staff. Those staff tend to fit work around study or other jobs (often precarious stuff like theatre or event work). Some weeks they only want a few hours, others they are happy to pick up more. Full time and part time staff who work fixed days have set hours contracts so are preferenced on tbs rota.

However, as it is a central London store with daily shifts from 7am - 9pm, there are always more hours to pick up if people want them.

I have a zero hours contract.

It means I can accept or refuse work at my will. I’ve basically wangled my self a term time school hours or nighttime job working from home in company that works 7-6pm.

Often there is more work than I could even want but there are only a handful of us on these contracts and they don’t want to hire anyone else due to equipment value and logistics.

@AworkQuestion0hours most places if they use 0 hours contracts you start on a lower contract and work your way up ~ the better you are in the role the more valuable you are to the company.

Lots do appreciate the flex of a 0 hour contract, because you can also refuse shifts. Good (in theory) for students who'll have busier weeks etc.

My ds is on a zero hours contract.

He's a swimmer and quite often travels abroad to compete for GBR.

He works his set 3 days a week and sometimes his boss will ask him to do more if he's got a presentation coming up or project needs finishing. (Software development).

But it also gives ds flexibility to compete as and when necessary with national comps as well as if he's abroad for 8-10 days.

He could work freelance and bill his boss the hours but this way works better for them both.

But I can see why for some people it's a real negative.

I read that as
staff a) reliable and good at job

staff b) unreliable and not good at there job

of course you’d select staff a

I have a 2nd job zero hours contract, they pick people who turn up and don’t cancel at last minute.

I give the hours to the most reliable staff who are best at their jobs 1st, they are my core staff the rest are just cover in staff

The argument is that it benefits employees when want more flexibility. For example, of someone has a remitting/relapsing illness they can refuse shifts when needs be and make the most of the days they feel able to work. I was on zero hours contract as a student and could take time off whenever I needed it for coursework and my employer couldn't really do much about that.