zero hours working - anyone does this ?

[tonyk]

guys got offered a job, but its got zero hours working pay ????.
checked with google etc looks like a sick way to pay people.
does anyone know / or have done this type of work ?.

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by tonyk

guys got offered a job, but its got zero hours working pay ????.
checked with google etc looks like a sick way to pay people.
does anyone know / or have done this type of work ?.

Don't take the job imho!
They're horrible! I deal with them at work and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. The short answer is it's a NI and pension contribution Dodge for employers

written with a biro

Just googled it myself. Sounds like a **** idea. I guess I had experience of it when I worked in the pub, but that was somewhat different to a proper career type job. It was in my gap year and I basically worked every hour they would give me. My record was 72 hours in a week.

I think the government has made (or was going to make) some changes recently to the rules surrounding these contracts but on the hole I'd say unless you're out of work and really needing it, don't touch them with a barge pole.

it is the only contract you can get in the security game atm and yes there ****

[Nutsinatin]

Did it at my previous job, they would call me up with half an hours notice to get in and if I refused the hours I didn't get work, similarly I couldn't book any leave (despite being entitled to) as they just wouldn't have me in that day so I finished every year with my full allocation. Sometimes they would deny that I had turned up and refuse to pay me, was the only work I could get so just had to put up with it. Sometimes they would send me home when I got there because they'd changed their mind as well. However when I left I 'forgot' to tell them as I had an eight week notice period so informed them on the day I started my new job, zero hours, wasn't contractually obliged to turn up. I will however point out some companies are perfectly reasonable with these contracts.

As an employer we would never use them, they are terrible and show zero respect for the employee, just my opinion I might add.

[Red ones]

I'm clearly out of step on this. I've worked them and I've employed on them. I don't dislike them, but it probably depends on the employer and how they view it as well as the employees view.

I keep hearing how staff on zero hours are not loyal. I'd argue they can be more loyal than contracted staff - if they want to secure the hours they need to prove themselves consistently. If the employer wants staff to be flexible, then the employer needs to be flexible and reasonable too. It's a two way thing.

I would be more concerned about the employers ethos and the company culture than the zero hour contract.

[Littlepeahead]

I think it depends on the job and employer. Our Lord's tour guides are on zero hours but we draw up a rota 4 weeks in advance and they tell us what they ideally want to work, some prefer days, weekends or evenings, some want just a day a week others are almost full time, some do a minimum number of hours and are happy to be on standby for extra bookings. For them it seems to work really well, so while I think a lot of companies use it only to their own advantage there are some where it suits both parties.