any hope zero hour contracts will end soon?

sniggings

You don't realise...well I didn't realise how bad these things are until you go for an interview for a job offering zero hours!

I was told only 5 hours a week would be near enough guaranteed, the rest would be a case of turning up for work after having paid travel costs to get there, to be told whether you would be working that day or not, I was also told finish times were not set, the job was an admin job, with a lot of responsibility, opening up some days and closing, dealing with customers f2f, giving other staff directions, all this for min wage!

I'm on benefits and really want to get off them so went for the interview, sat and answered as best I could when I got the question "why do you want this job" I don't like lieing but what else could I do, tell the truth that well it may just be slightly better than benefits, time I pay travel costs, if I get a full week in most weeks but those weeks I do not get full time hours I will not be able to pay my rent or probably affort to eat as I will not be able to save money from when on a full weeks wage as min wage would just be enough to cover rent, CC, water rates etc etc

And getting two jobs would not be possible either as the first one expects you to sit at home waiting to see if they need you, but not willing to pay you for it.

Also with benefits now saying you can not claim for the first 7 days, if I were only offered les than 15 hours one week, I couldn't even claim to top up my wage!

when will the government stop allowing these contracts as they are clearly not good, as I for one will think twice before applying for a similar job in the future, which sounds bad but it's the truth.

DUTR

I think folk are misunderstanding how zero hour is supposed to work, you are supposed to get plenty of noticenot turn up to be told there is no work, what you describe is casual labour.

sniggings

DUTR wrote: »

I think folk are misunderstanding how zero hour is supposed to work, you are supposed to get plenty of noticenot turn up to be told there is no work, what you describe is casual labour.

what have I not understood?

I agree it's casual labour what I have described, so tell me what the difference is between the two?

I was told the contract was zero hours, I would be told when I arrived if I was working that day, or could be sent home early and also that the finish time would be flexible too, the only difference I know between the two is on zero hours you will accrue holiday pay, whereas casual work you would not.

DUTR

sniggings wrote: »

what have I not understood?

I agree it's casual labour what I have described, so tell me what the difference is between the two?

I was told the contract was zero hours, I would be told when I arrived if I was working that day, or could be sent home early and also that the finish time would be flexible too, the only difference I know between the two is on zero hours you will accrue holiday pay, whereas casual work you would not.

Eg they are supposed to give you notice to say....you have a weeks's work 2nd -9th January and then 13th-17th etc if they have no work for you 20th-24th then they shouldn't expect you to turn up.
Personally I would just thank them for the time to interview you and seek employment elsewhere where scheduled hours are garuanteed.

Denning.

In theory zero hour contracts are supposed to work the other way. It is the employee who says whether they will be working or not. That kind of goes to pot when it is low skilled workers (easily replaceable) and where we have high unemployment.

The situation won't change if at all until we have lower unemployment, by which point it will be less of a concern and forgotten about.

sniggings

DUTR wrote: »

Eg they are supposed to give you notice to say....you have a weeks's work 2nd -9th January and then 13th-17th etc if they have no work for you 20th-24th then they shouldn't expect you to turn up.
Personally I would just thank them for the time to interview you and seek employment elsewhere where scheduled hours are garuanteed.

right so it's them that have misunderstood what a zero hour contract is, not me

You may be right in what you say but I have a feeling you are not, as surely zero hours means they can offer you no hours or some, I can't see the government allowing zero hours contracts at the same time setting that a minimum number of hours a week has to be offered, and having to be given notice in advance when you will be working...I'm not sure what is worse, only getting 5 hours one week or being told in two weeks time you will receive no hours and being without any money as benefits now say you have to wait a week before claiming.

I've not heard back so I guess I haven't got it, guess some other poor sod and lie better than me, I will have to work on my poker face.

M0ney

I'd have thought they were bound by law to pay you at least one hour that day as soon as they have asked you to turn up at the office. I wouldn't put up with that either, do you they pay your travel costs? If not, it sounds as if some days you're actually spending money to go to work where you will earn nothing.

sniggings

Denning. wrote: »

In theory zero hour contracts are supposed to work the other way. It is the employee who says whether they will be working or not. That kind of goes to pot when it is low skilled workers (easily replaceable) and where we have high unemployment.

The situation won't change if at all until we have lower unemployment, by which point it will be less of a concern and forgotten about.

sorry but are you really suggestion that a government, either Labour or tory have given the employee such power, as to tell the employer when they wish to work.

I think zero contracts are what they say on the tin, they can offer you zero hours any time they wish, before the rule was a contract had to state a number of hours a week the contract was for.

DUTR

sniggings wrote: »

right so it's them that have misunderstood what a zero hour contract is, not me

You may be right in what you say but I have a feeling you are not, as surely zero hours means they can offer you no hours or some, I can't see the government allowing zero hours contracts at the same time setting that a minimum number of hours a week has to be offered, and having to be given notice in advance when you will be working...I'm not sure what is worse, only getting 5 hours one week or being told in two weeks time you will receive no hours and being without any money as benefits now say you have to wait a week before claiming.

I've not heard back so I guess I haven't got it, guess some other poor sod and lie better than me, I will have to work on my poker face.

Nope, also see post #5
Obviously you have become aware that some employers will try it on.
They either have a job and work to offer or they don't, the employee's shouldn't have to be degraded and humiliated in going cap in hand 'daily' to see if there is work for them tossing burgers or topping pizza,
There was an article on the radio about zero hour terms a few months back, heard some right horror stories, especially now with the winter mornings, duvet will win everytime.

Zero Hour

sniggings

M0ney wrote: »

I'd have thought they were bound by law to pay you at least one hour that day as soon as they have asked you to turn up at the office. I wouldn't put up with that either, do you they pay your travel costs? If not, it sounds as if some days you're actually spending money to go to work where you will earn nothing.

no, no hours are guarantee on zero hours.

My thought too, I would be spending £3.50 for a bus ticket some days and not earning that, even on a full week I would be struggling to pay travel costs, never mind paying them and being sent home.

I guess my question is, who can afford to take these jobs? I understand it's better to be in work than out, but I would just need one week of less than full time hours to be behind with rent and bills.

I guess I thought I was missing something but it is really that bad out there, yet people like me get labeled as they don't want to work, fact is I can't afford to work...there I said it.

Maz

Zero hours contracts are fine if you're looking to earn some extra money on a fairly random basis.

But if you are looking for financial regularity I wouldn't recommend them.