Zero hour contract?

markbass

Hi guys my brother has the opportunity of a job with a security firm on a zero hour contract (as and when required) type of thing, he was told there would be plenty of hours available but he's in two minds as to take the job or wait for a fixed contract job elsewhere (perhaps better pay aswell) he's on full benefits at the moment with housing benefit ect...and is a little worried about the zero hour obligation from the employer...ie: if the hours do suddenly dry up (after christmas perhaps) and basically he hasn't a leg to stand on in regards to hours put his way, like i say he has been given assurances that the work is there but why in that case wouldn't the employer make it a full time contract if they're that sure of the hours available...just wondered what you guys thought of these zero hour contracts?


cheers Mark.

silkyuk9

if he's on benefits and does not get any hours in one week he will be able to claim im thinking.

When i was a young lad i was on benefits and i took my wage slip in each week and claimed the difference. i was only working about 16 hours per week but i still got some money from the SS

terra_ferma

Hi Mark
your brother should not make any assumptions about the number of hours available.
Even if now there is a lot of work things can change very quickly in the business world....

Zero hours contracts are quite common in industries with fluctuating demand.
Unfortunately they are used even when there is plenty of work, as they make it easier to get rid of people if required, without paying redundancy (i.e. you don't make people redundant, you simply give them 0hrs....).
If it's a large company the type of contract may not be linked at all to the amount of work available locally, but rather be company policy.

However I should think that being in work would be much better than being unemployed, it would make it much easier to find another job if this one does not work out (leaving a job because there isn't enough work should not look to bad).

System

on a zero contract he presumably would not get any holiday pay

Delta-NC

I wouldn't bother with it unless he is sure to get a good few hours.

In an ideal and logical world fair enough, but this this country is bound by Labour logic where working 15 minutes somewhere once requires you to fill in a 20 page booklet explaning who for, what your job title is, your salary, your dogs name, the model of car your uncle drives etc.. etc..

I've been told by job center staff not to consider any job with less than 16 hours a week.

foxy-roxy

i used to work for a comany on 0 hour contrat, and the way the managment worked in wanting to get rid of someone was to just give them 0 hours, i used to ask all the time if there would be work soon or should i just look for another job and they wouldn't say, just like to keep us hanging, and they wouldn't tell you upfront either, i hated it and got out asap.
But on the other hand if i was unemployed and christmas was coming up and guaranteed hours until at least then, i would take it and look at it as temp work.

terra_ferma

Delta-NC wrote: »

I wouldn't bother with it unless he is sure to get a good few hours.

In an ideal and logical world fair enough, but this this country is bound by Labour logic where working 15 minutes somewhere once requires you to fill in a 20 page booklet explaning who for, what your job title is, your salary, your dogs name, the model of car your uncle drives etc.. etc..

I've been told by job center staff not to consider any job with less than 16 hours a week.

So you are saying people on benefits would be much better of under a Tory government. :rotfl:
Today it's been raining all day, I'm sure it's the Labour party's fault!

The_Zealot

I may get a job on a zero-hours contract, which would actually start on 32 hours per week. Of course, this can change at any time for less hours.
Both my wife and I are on income-based JSA, and I was about to claim Housing Benefit as well, since we're fully eligible.
However, if I do get it, I will only be earning a measly £240/week (£202.61 net), or £1040/month (£878 net), which is pretty much half of what I was on previously. This is a really low salary for a job that I may even find boring to death, and may want to quit in a few months. I know that outside London this may be an acceptable amount, but it's actually below my council's Minimum Living Wage.

So will I lose any of my benefits? Am I still able to keep my JSA if I let go of the Housing Benefit?

Thanks for the help.

shikoku

Very interested in this thread as I am in a similar situation, on any given day I don't know what time I will be sent home again due to lack of work.

My job was advertised as 'permanent/full time' - it is anything but.

I had worked out that I could just about subsist on the 'full time' salary but have now had to bung in a claim for housing benefit as the hours have reduced so much; what I'm wondering now is how is HB worked out when your income changes by the day?

Needless to say I am looking for another job and feel absolutely no loyalty to this one

olly300

The_Zealot wrote: »

I may get a job on a zero-hours contract, which would actually start on 32 hours per week. Of course, this can change at any time for less hours.
Both my wife and I are on income-based JSA, and I was about to claim Housing Benefit as well, since we're fully eligible.
However, if I do get it, I will only be earning a measly £240/week (£202.61 net), or £1040/month (£878 net), which is pretty much half of what I was on previously. This is a really low salary for a job that I may even find boring to death, and may want to quit in a few months. I know that outside London this may be an acceptable amount, but it's actually below my council's Minimum Living Wage.

So will I lose any of my benefits? Am I still able to keep my JSA if I let go of the Housing Benefit?

Thanks for the help.

This is the wrong board to ask on. Ask on the benefits board.

The council and DWP are different organisations.

What will probably happen is you and your wife will both lose the JSA as you will be earning more than £100 a week, but you will be able to claim housing benefit.

However as it's a zero hours contract it will be a nightmare for you to start reclaiming JSA particularly as they won't make you redundant. Also you can't just walk out of job and claim straight away you have to be made redundant, or lose your job in a way that is not your fault. This is one of the reasons why people don't take zero hours contracts.