Zero hours contracts. Do they work for you?

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I hope the link works. I am posting because our business has a couple of people on zero hours contracts. One is retired with two pensions but still likes to top up (it pays for extras) and the other has another zero hours job but wants the flexibility to be able to travel to kickstart his second (art-related) career. Both are being paid the full going rate (well over nmw) for the hours they give us, and we value their work, but neither has sick or holiday pay. Where do you all believe exploitation begins?

I'm on one and wouldn't have it any other way. If I want to go on holiday or need to do something for the DCs I just tell them I can't work. I would hate to have to book time off weeks in advance - it just wouldn't fit in with my life. I know not everyone is like me though.

I work at a CAB and we see a lot of people who can't afford to live on zero hours contracts. Mostly factory workers, healthcare assistant or cleaners the people in those roles are very expendable and have limited resources to take advantage of the benefits of zero hours. For example they are not usually at liberty to choose their hours or work for a number of different agencies, because if they are not available they won't get offered any work the next week. They often have little or no transport so could not just drive to another factory or retail park to get work miles away if their regular one dries up. Their housing benefit gets totally fucked up because the system can't cope with people working some weeks and not others. It's a real problem. Obviously at your end of the scale there are advantages but people are being exploited and need protection. Employment rights are being eroded more and more and it's a huge shame that the government has side stepped this issue the way it has.

If both parties agree and are happy for the arrangement then it's fine but often in most cases, people have no other choice but to work on a Zero hours contracts.

Oh and yes, zero hours contracts work for me. I'm not on one myself, as I have a flexi hours contract as that works better for me and my boss but most of our hourly paid guys are. When we're busy they are quids in as there's loads of overtime available. When we're quiet we pay them their accrued holidays and most of them are used to our working patterns so have saved some of their overtime to see them through.

Used properly they can be great for employer and employee alike as they allow total flexibility. There is an awful lot of scope for exploitation by the unscrupulous with them though sadly.

I had a second job with a zero hours contact once. It really suited me to be able to pick up hours when I needed them, but not be tied to anything if I had other things to do. There were several people in the same job that it worked for, too.

We didn't get sick pay but we did get holiday pay. They averaged your hours over the past few weeks to work out how much you worked each week, then based your holiday pay on that.

I had one as a post grad student. Phone Monday and pick up shifts for following weekend - working corporate events. No penalty if you didn't take work (deadlines for course work).
They have limited use in that sort of situation.

I used to be on a zero hour contract when I was studying part time - it was perfect for me then and I know a lot of other students who love the flexibility it entails, but to be fair we were all very lucky with our employers - provided we turned up to work on time and worked well we'd still get the shifts we needed.

That said, when my course ended it was terrifying having to rely on that contract to pay rent and bills etc. I was lucky that my employer understood completely and gave me as many shifts as they could, and i was always the first person they called when they were shprt staffed due to illness etc. But it did mean that because of the contract I found it incredobly doffocult to rent another place when my tenancy ended, as you cannot prove you can pay the rent. A colleague was in a similar position re getting a mortgage, even though they had a verbal contract with our boss that they would have full time hours. In the end they offered me a full time position so I didn't have to worry any more, but my colleague wasn't so lucky.

In short: For those that need flexibility, they're great. For those who rely on a zero hour contract to survive, it's absolute hell unless you have a good employer who treats you well.

Also, the kind of sector I worked in meant most of the staff were on 0 hour contracts - some weeks we're really busy and we needed everyone in, whereas some weeks we're so quiet that only contracted full time staff were in, with not much to do. So I completely understand why 0 hour contracts are needed- some businesses would not survive otherwise. Theyd eother have to pay out on contracts for staff that are not needed, or rely on agency staff who cost a fortune and who don't even see most of the money, but that's another thread entirely

The people who are exploited are usually people who are unskilled and are on a low wage, they feel they have no other choice but to tow the line to get their hours.

When used properly they can work extremely well. My DH works in the pub industry and most of his staff are on zero hours. Students can work in the holidays and maintain continuous employment even though they aren't around in term time. Parents can fit their shifts around family. Easier to work extra hours if saving for something or less hours if needed. Holiday is still accrued and employees are still eligible for statutory sick pay. Where used correctly they can be a really good thing.

One of our zero hours people is 74 and likes to keep busy; he is exquisitely skilled in a rare old-fashioned skill no longer current, that is of enormous value (occasionally) in what we do. The other has a pension from a previous career and is in the process of learning a new skill and market that takes a lot of time to perfect and get established in. One has no dependents; the other has a partner whose earning power is good. The arrangements seem to please them.

And, we like them both so look for work that will keep them in work and put a little back in the pot.

I had a zero hours contract in the nightclub/pub I worked in, it wasn't great as I never knew if I would have enough money for bills or rent to be payed on time as sometimes I would only get a few shifts other weeks I would work 16 hour shifts 6 days a week. They fired people at an alarming rate, and fired everyone on Halloween who couldn't do Christmas Day Boxing Day and New Years shifts, even if you were only going to miss one of the days and were willing to work the others. It was definitely exploitative but they were pretty shady people who ran the place so it didn't surprise me.

I'm sure they work for some people, but for anyone with any real responsibility they aren't compatible with being able to afford to live and the fact that they exist means people who don't want the instability are forced into doing them just to have a job because it benefits the business to have cheap easily disposable labour. I do think they should be banned as I imagine the vast majority on these contracts are being exploited.

They would really work for me. Desperately looking for something flexible but with the benefits of working in the same place and not doing agency work. Unfortunately my organisation stopped doing them with all the negative publicity. I would have found it brilliant for childcare reasons. Now I am probably going to have to do supply / agency work which is even less secure and has the added disadvantage that I will have to move around lots of different areas.

I can see the negatives and that there is a huge risk of exploitation so I am torn on this. However, there are a lot of people where I work who would love zero hours, mainly due to childcare reasons.

One of our people aims to be a photographer in a creative industry. How is that less or more secure than a fair employer who pays him very straightforwardly at the industry rate for the hours he works? He is not always available to us when we'd like him if it clashes with another gig.

I work as an exam invigilator and when it is "exam season" I just let them know when I am available. Suits me fine as I don't need to work for financial reasons but it is for extras!

They are not for people who have monthly responsibilities and regular liabilities, which is most of us, but I think they can work in some situations and for some folk. I am NOT condoning the contract my SIL had as a carer which was paid in 15 minute slots with no travel time or costs paid. That was exploitation. Most small businesses do understand the difference and don't have the experience or the wish to abuse their staff. But they want to keep going, and usually the person whose businesss it is works at least as hard as any employee.

Dh and I are both on zero hours contracts. Very rare we don't get 40hrs each a week. We both accrue holiday pay too.
We have a mortgage, bills and a dd!

I liked my zero hours contract when I worked in a theatre. I was a single parent. It was evening work and each week I would pick what I wanted or needed the next week. We were given holiday pay.

I don't think banning zero hours contracts is right because for some people they work out fine.

I have a friend who works for a care company. She recently refused a full contract in favour of a zero hours contract as under zero hours she can refuse hours she doesn't want to do. She's wealthy though and doesn't really need to work.

It worked for me when I had two part time jobs one job suited my further studies the other to top up my earnings and hours were more flexible

I prefer full time contract work with holiday/sick pay

I can see benefits with them like having two part time jobs or or not doing set hours but holiday and sick pay should be added (it was for me)

My hourly pay on zero hours includes hourly holiday pay. So I get paid the same hourly rate as other part time and full time workers plus £2 ph holiday pay. It would be a rip off otherwise!!

Also it's appropriate to offer contracted hours if they want them. People have bills to pay.

You are not paying them holiday pay?

People on zero hours should accrue holiday and holiday pay...

IMO if a firm only offers 0 hours contracts to the majority of their employees, it's exploitative as most people want a regular job and would take a permanant contract if it was on offer

If there are some , and it's an option , but most of the staff are on permanant contracts. it's not.

0 Hours saved my bacon when I had a CV issue. I left a job because of my manager and I spoke out about it on exit interview, so I feared a sting in the tail if I requested a reference.
Luckily, I'ld kept on my 0 hours contract from my job before that and done the odd shift. So I could leave the other job off my CV and use my 0 hours as my current reference.

I don't always get as many hours as I need.

I also feel completely disposable. It is an insecure role

I'm technically on a zero hour contract but shifts are mostly guaranteed, given they're still advertising for crew members! So no exploitation here... my company is also one of The Times 30 best big companies to work for👌🏻