21 March 2024 , 08:39
1152
0
A new report says more young people are working on zero-hour contracts than ever before.
The Work Foundation found that in 2023, there were 136,000 more workers on these contracts than in 2022. Most of these went to young people aged 16 to 24. The foundation says not many people with zero-hour contracts are on a regular income or have rights at work.
They found that out of the 1.1 million people on zero-hour contracts, three quarters face uncertainty about their employment. Alice Martin from the Work Foundation said: "Zero-hour contracts have previously been hailed the answer to flexible work, but our research shows too often it is only employers that have choices, workers do not."
She said: "The data shows these contracts affect certain workers more than others, and it is young workers particularly young women who are bearing the brunt of policy-makers inaction. After a decade of indecision over zero-hour contracts, the UK has fallen behind and now our younger generation are paying the price."
"Other nations have already either banned zero-hour contracts or heavily regulated their use, so we need to catch up and find a better balance between workplace security and flexibility."
Sarah Lancashire feared telling TV bosses about 'debilitating depression battle'
The Work Foundation is concerned about how this might affect the kind of jobs young people can get later on. The research also showed that black workers are 2.7 times more likely than white workers to have zero-hour contracts, while mixed background workers are 2.3 times more likely.
In 2023, one in 10 young UK workers had such contracts, according to the report. Paul Nowak, TUC general secretary, said: "Zero-hours contracts may be a dream for bad bosses, but they can be nightmare for the people on them. These one-sided contracts hand almost total control over hours and earning power to managers making it nigh on impossible for workers to plan budgets and childcare."
He added: "I would challenge any business leader or politician to try and survive on a zero-hours contract not knowing how much money you'll have from one week to the next."
Corey Edwards, senior policy and public affairs manager at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) said: "The informality, instability and non-standard form of zero-hours contract work makes workers increasingly vulnerable in terms of both their physical and mental health."
Alongside this, employees face uncertainty about their employment duration, unpredictable working hours, a higher risk of violence and harassment, plus poor rest periods because of these contracts.