Zero hours contracts: advice for students
Back to Topic
Click to Print
Useful Websites
Glossary Term Selection
As of 2021, 917,000 people in the UK work on a zero hours contract. That’s about 2.3% of the country’s workforce. The 16-24 age group has consistently been the most represented demographic working this kind of contract.
But what is a zero hours contract and what does it mean for you?
What is a zero hours contract?
In a nutshell, a zero hours contract means that you are employed but that your employer does not guarantee you a minimum number of working hours each week.
Zero hours contracts appear in many different sectors but are particularly prevalent in industries such as retail, food service, leisure and hospitality, and health and social care.
Zero hours contracts are controversial, with many trade unions and other workers’ rights organisations considering them unfair and exploitative. But they are a reality of the current labour market and don’t look set to disappear any time soon. So what are the pros and cons and how can you make them work for you?
What are the pros and cons of...
Want to see the rest of this article?
Would you like to see the rest of this article and all the other benefits that Issues Online can provide with?
- Useful related articles
- Video and multimedia references
- Statistical information and reference material
- Glossary of terms
- Key Facts and figures
- Related assignments
- Resource material and websites
