Workers on ‘exploitative’ zero-hours contracts in the UK rose 91,000 to record 1.23 million: report

Workers aged 16 to 24 in the UK who are not studying full-time drove the number of people on zero-hours contracts to a record 1.23 million in December, a 91,000 increase from a year earlier, according to the BBC, citing Office for National Statistics (ONS) data analysed by the Work Foundation at Lancaster University.

In fact, the foundation also found that 32.8% of these workers rely on this type of work full-time, with many still looking for additional work hours or even a second job to make ends meet.

The spike in what The Labour Party’s 2024 election manifesto described as “exploitative” contracts comes just as the government’s Employment Rights Act is expected to come into force next year, to provide workers with the right to guaranteed working hours.

When it takes effect, it will also give them the right to “reasonable notice” of their schedules, along with compensation if shifts are cancelled at the last minute.

Zero-hours contracts mean no fixed hours, no guaranteed shifts — just work offered when employers need it, often at short notice.

While supporters argue this type of work helps young people get a foot in the door and gives them flexibility while finishing their studies or managing childcare, critics say it leaves workers stuck with unpredictable schedules, no guaranteed income, and a bleak financial future.

Workers on these contracts told the BBC they experience “constantly fluctuating hours and wages” giving them difficulties to rent whenever they want to move out as landlords demand “stability” in income.

Measures on zero-hours contracts remain subject to consultation and secondary legislation in the House of Commons, but the foundation and trade unions have urged that measures be implemented in full as soon as possible to provide security and stability for workers.

Employers, on the other hand, are said to be still reliant on these contracts. /TISG

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