Just published..
A study on zero hours contracts and the prevalance of ‘If and When (needed)’ contracts.
The key factors driving the use of the latter include:
1) Increasing levels of work during non-standard hours
2) A requirement for flexibility in demand-led services
3) The absence of an accessible, affordable childcare system
4) Current employment legislation
5) The particular resourcing models of education and health services.
However
Employer organisations argue that If and When hours and low hours suit employees. Such arrangements, it is claimed, especially suit students, older workers and women with caring responsibilities…
Hmm.
More as we digest it.
Sponsored Link
I love the “Oh, this is actually great for some types of employees!” line. Yeah, sure, if there’s one thing ‘women with caring responsibilities’ love it’s a complete lack of structure or stability over the shifts they’re working or the amount they’re getting paid. That kinda setup makes childcare arrangements and financial planning super-easy and straightforward. Totally.
But it might suit some people. e.g. hotels hire staff for functions at Christmas.
They don’t need staff all year, just at busy times. There are some people who might want some extra cash at those same times. So it might suit them.
There are some jobs that are seasonal, how are they to be catered for?
Similarly, there may be students who want to work pat time at weekends but not during exam times.
Where its a problem if you are using this type of work as your main breadwinner role and you’ve no idea what’s happening next week.
Fixed term contracts with minimum weekly hours for the period of the contract and clear terms around the hours that can be required/expected. Work being seasonal shouldn’t mean that you need to sacrifice all basic expectations of employment rights and conditions.
Not suggesting that expectations should be sacrificed.
People need certainty in what they are doing.
For example, in Dunnes, they were looking for ranges of guaranteed hours to be introduced.
say, minimun of 10-15 hours, 15-20 hours, 20-25 and so on.
For seasonal work, if an event in cancelled or is smaller than thought, it would be more difficult to implement something like that.
It’s becoming the norm though – just think of Uber and all the other on demand services – your “self employed” but in reality your just a zero hour contract employee of your friendly internet giant
Do the Dunnes executive management see their wages decrease during quiet periods?
There’s 450,000 part time workers, Dubloony. It’s systemic, not occasional.
(Having worked in farming and services I would say that seasonal work is usually full-time with lay-offs after)
That’s a dreadful document.
Section 4, on Impact, has several pages of disadvantages after one page of advantages, then has a concluding long paragraph with 80% employers’ statements in favour of If and When – including material not discussed – and a sentence referring to one paragraph of disadvantages.
It looks like the conclusions were reached before the report was drafted.
This reeks of a desperate attempt to paint a good picture of zero hour contracts
Produced by the Kemmy School of Business.
I’d say Jim Kemmy would have a few words to say if he was around…
I was actually speaking to a student about it and she seemed quiet happy about it. She didn’t want a student job where she was working all the time.
I wouldn’t be in favour of it myself though. At least in college I had a 15 odd hour contract with a shop in town. It meant I had a guaranteed wage for rent, bills, etc.
It would have suited me better in college. Tesco demanded I work a full 20 hours a week and I was only really looking for a bit of pocket money. I packed in all casual work and lived on 30 quid a week. 18 months later I have a first class honours degree and life has been an easy ride since.
The loneliness just won’t go away though will it?
The “Kemmy” Business School?? What’s next? The Himmler Yeshiva? The Cowan School of Deportment? The Michael D Higgins Elite Basketball Academy?
The Barack Obama Plaza.
oh no, wait – that’s a thing
Right, so blog excludes the opening finding:
“Zero hours contracts within the meaning of the Organisation of Working Time Act
1997 (OWTA) are not extensive in Ireland according to our research.”
I’m sure its an IBEC conspiracy though…………..