legalEASE.
The Basics of Zero Hour Contracts: What You Need to Know
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This covers....
Zero hour contracts.
What can your employer not do under these contracts.
Controversy and how things may change under the new Labour government.
Employment law is all about providing a degree of security for the employee. Zero-hour contracts have been growing more popular and controversial. These are contracts where no hours of work are guaranteed. This is not a legal term and the definitions vary.
How to identify that you have a zero-hour contract:
Lack of regularity.
It is written in the contract.
You are not obligated to work when asked to.
What can an employer not do if you are on a zero-hour contract:
There cannot be exclusivity clauses (ties you to one employer) - now unlawful to enforce them under section 27A ERA 1996.
They cannot treat you differently from another for working for multiple people.
Controversy:
These contracts are controversial as they symbolise a lack of security and working hours, something everyone is seeking.
It is important to be aware that people given these contracts are not considered ‘employees’ and are denied many rights and benefits such as redundancy and sick pay.
The good news is that many believe these types of contracts are unethical.
The UK is one of the few countries to allow them fully.
The new Labour government has provided some short-lived new hope for workers that zero-hour contracts would be banned, but it now seems the loopholes employers are already using will remain so that the balance of power tips in favour of the employer.