Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Business
Hazel Sheffield

The UK boss of McDonald's has defended zero hours contracts

Paul Pomroy said zeros hours contracts help staff stay flexible (Getty)

The UK boss of McDonald’s has come out in support of zero-hours contracts.

Paul Pomroy, the UK chief executive of McDonald’s, told the BBC that zeros hours contracts help staff stay flexible.

"We still have zero hours contracts, they’re very flexible contracts. Having surveyed our employees, they still love the flexibility," Pomroy said.

He added that McDonald’s employees get their shifts two weeks in advance

Read more:
Zero-hours contracts make up one in four offers to jobless
Sports Direct responsible for fifth of all zero hour contracts

When asked about the government’s planned increase in the minimum wage to a new 'living wage' of £7.20, Pomroy agreed that the change would be "a burden" on the company.

Pomroy is not the first to praise the "flexibility" of zero hours contracts. In June, the Conservative business minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe defended such contracts, saying they let people earn as much as they choose.

Business news in pictures

However zero hours contracts also do not guarantee any set hours, which leaves employees vulnerable if an employer decides to refuse them work.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.