The zero-hours contract has been actively a part of controversy worldwide. But why is it so?
This contract implements some rules to both employees and employers to reject work offers at any time and not to restrict workers from working for other employers, respectively.
But do workers actually get the flexibility for working at their own pace? Are these workers school drop-outs who work on weekends to earn extra income? Well, there are so many questions.
So, in this blog, we will discuss the top five myths vs reality of zero-hours contracts.
Myth #1: Zero-hours contract give workers the flexibility they need
Many of the fast food workers want to do part-time work. Although, most of the part-time employees want to transition to a full-time job. In addition, the remaining want to work additional hours that could make 35 hours a week.
Moreover, there’s a significant difference between part-time work, regular position, and zero-hours contract where a worker gets to know about his working hours just a few days before he starts. Thus, fast food companies like the zero-hours contract but their workers don’t.
Fact Check
- 72% of the people working under zero-hours say that the changes to their weekly hours cause them trouble to fulfill their basic necessities such as food, gas, rent, etc.
- 27% reported that they were dissatisfied with no guaranteed working hours of ZHCs (Source International Labor Organization).
One of the ZHC worker says:
“If my working hours drop anymore, I won’t be able to feed my family.”
Disclaimer: The zero-hours contracts are famous for their flexible schedule. So, to know more about ZHCs flexibility for employees and employers you must consult with an essay writing services and ask them to simplify these rules for you.
Myth #2: ZHCs are like jobs where you can’t work for anyone else and you have to wait by the phone ready to work at any time
There is only one type of these contracts. As per the basics of zero-hours contract, an employment agreement where there are no guaranteed working hours regardless of whether you are told week by week or day by day.
Apart from a few salaried managers and senior-level positions, all fast food workers, along with thousands of workers in the hospitality and retail industry work under the zero-hours contract.
As per a survey conducted, it is stated that on an average, fast food workers work for 25.5 rostered hours in a week.
Myth #3: The ZHCs workers are mostly school drop-outs or students working on weekends to earn extra dollars
The median age of zero-hours contract workers is 26. Among them, half of them are older and the remaining are young. In addition, the majority of these workers are adults, having kids and family to feed. Thus, they find it really hard to survive due to the working hours. In addition, they wish to increase hours and work for additional hours to pay their bills and other basic necessities.
Fact Check
- The zero-hours contracts workers are between the ages of 16-28 years old saying that they can’t get a job with fixed hours.
Important point: For an undergraduate student planning to work under the zero-hours contract must ensure to understand the rules of it. Although the official rules of this contract comprises hard language. Therefore, a pupil might reach out to an expert and ask him to write my essay in Dubai on ZHCs rules in simpler terms.
Myth #4: My zero-hours staff can take a holiday at any time as they are not entitled to any fix working hours
Yes, that’s true. The employees and workers are entitled to paid holiday. In addition, the minimum entitlement is 5.6 weeks per holiday year. Although, the nature of zero-hours and casual contract is to get a leave at any time of the day but the entitlement is a paid leave, so you must remember that. Thus, the risk of not giving the correct holidays can be the same as if this wasn’t given to any other staff members. In addition, they can bring a claim on you for breaching Working Hours Regulations.
Myth #5: You can’t holiday entitlement for zero-hours staff as you don’t know what their working hours be in a year
Well, it is quite tricky but not impossible. For the zero-hours contracts, workers don’t have any fixed number of hours. Moreover, the Working Hours Regulations also do not contribute anything to support this.
Thus, the best way to calculate the entitlement is to keep a running track of the number of hours. In addition, it gets easier to calculate the accrual based on the actual working hours.
Workers Comments on Zero-Hours Contract
- You have to be really careful with money. I try to save to cover the possibility that my working hours will be reduced one week but it’s hard as the pay isn’t enough to start with.
- I just want full-time hours so I can get off the benefit as I lose so much money being on secondary tax and paying my student loan etc.
- I cannot afford Christmas presents for my family because my employer won’t increase my hours. I’m working full-time but getting part-time pay.
Final Words
And we’re at the end of this blog. The zero-hours contract is super controversial. Thus, it’s important to know the myths and the realities. So, we have discussed a few of them that were crucial. Hence, make sure to carefully read them and make your mind after that.
We all thought that the best part about ZHCs is its flexibility for workers. However, do they even like it? The answer is in the blog!
