It has been all over the news in the past 24 hours that approximately a million people are working under a zero hours contract. I think Vince Cables use of the word ‘abuse’ is a bit over dramatic but I do realise that essentially these type of contracts main beneficiaries are the employers, be it an agency or end employer.
This means that they are employed and have no guaranteed working weekly hours and can be an up-and-down way of working. It’s true that it does suit a lot of people and gives them and the employer real flexibility in their working lives, however, it can also offer uncertainty for the worker as some weeks they may get lots of work and others, hardly any.
For the employer, the engage with the worker to offer them work when they need them and it’s a great solution for them, as when the work levels have dropped, they don’t have to pay people when not needed.
Similarly, the worker can take work when they want which often fits in with their partners work schedule, childcare, other jobs etc…They also know what they are signing up for (or should do) when they commence employment with a zero hours contract, so really the questions is, if they aren’t happy with varying levels of work, and many are, what can they do about it?
The answer, yes you’ve guessed it, is to find a permanent job. This is where we can help.
We only offer permanent roles with the companies we deal with, be it in the healthcare, education, industrial or commercial markets. So if this is what you are looking for, then it would be good to talk through your options.
I didn’t intend to make this blog a sales pitch to candidates to convince them that we’re the answer to all their employment problems, they have to decide that for themselves, and if they aren’t happy with a zero hours contract, then now is the time to do something about it. PR
