A recent study by Nikhil Datta, Giulia Giupponi and Stephen Machin, three prominent economists has found that 44% of 20,000 zero hours workers surveyed would like more hours and in particular more regular hours.
Zero hours contracts have created a great level of controversy since their increase in popularity over the last decade and indeed Jackson Boyd has commented on these several times. Previous articles have sought to explore both sides of the zero hours divide, and indeed the research referenced above found that 28% of the workers surveyed worked on a zero hour basis precisely for the flexibility it offers, seemingly undermining the critics who allege that they are exploitative.
The study did, however, find that around a third of the workers surveyed felt that they had no alternative but to work on a zero hours basis as they were unable to find work anywhere else.
The debate on zero hours contracts show no signs of abating and as it is such a polarizing matter it appears that there will always be critics on both sides of the zero hours debate.
If you are an employer or an employee who has a concern over zero hours contracts, the Jackson Boyd employment team has extensive experience of dealing with these issues, so please get in touch by clicking here or speak to a member of our specialist team on 0333 122 6238.
