A decade ago the phrase “zero-hours contract” didn’t mean much to anyone – but now it’s often used as a synonym for unstable and low-paid employment. The term is generally defined as when an employer is not obliged to provide any minimum working hours, and the worker is not obliged to accept any work offered.
These contracts are on the rise in the UK: the number of workers on a zero-hours contract has increased by more than 100,000 over the past year, exceeding 800,000 for the first time, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. In New Zealand, zero-hour contracts have been banned after parliament unanimously passed a bill prohibiting the controversial practice.
We want to hear your stories of life on a zero-hours contract in a broad range of professions – from carers to caterers. How do these contracts affect your life? Do you wish you had more job security or does the flexibility suit you? What, if anything, should the UK government do about this form of employment? Would you like to see more regulation of companies that employ workers on these contracts? Tell us in the form below.
