There has been a lot of news about zero-hour contracts and their pitfalls of this. If you are offered a zero-hour contract, you need to know what these contracts are, how they relate to your employment rights and how they can affect you. Working based on one of these contracts will not be the best solution for everyone, but some people do benefit from this. DPH Legal’s employment law team can guide you through your contract.
What Is A Zero-Hour Contract?
Before you look at how these contracts can affect you, you need to know what they are. A zero-hour contract is basically what the name suggests. It is an employment contract that does not specify any set number of work hours.
If you agree to this type of contract, you will be contacted by the employer as and when there is work. You will not have to accept the work which is offered by the employer. However, should you reject any work, the contract allows for the employer to not offer you any future work when it becomes available.
The Drawbacks
For many people, the drawbacks of these contracts will far outweigh the benefits. This is why you need to know what they are and how they could affect you. The primary drawback is that the contract does not offer a fixed income.
As there are no set hours in the contract, you will never know how much you are going to earn. You could work 35 hours one week and then 5 the next. This instability can cause financial problems and other issues.
Another problem with these contracts is that you are always on call for the employer. As you only get work as and when it is available, you need to be ready to take the work when it comes. This can lead to feelings of restriction because you might not feel able to take on additional work.
The Benefits
While it is important to know the drawbacks of these contracts, you should also consider what the benefits are. The primary benefit is that you will be able to gain experience while on these contracts. This will help to improve your CV and provide you with additional skills.
You will also have a chance for permanent work when you start with these contracts. The business you work for could have budgetary restrictions now, but they may be able to take you on as a permanent member of staff later. Of course, this is not something that always happens and you need to be aware of this.
Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for information purposes only and should not be relied upon as formal legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article. Specific legal advice should be sort tailored to the individual circumstances in all cases.
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