The issue of zero-hours contracts has been the subject of widespread political debate and generated a mass of media headlines over the last few months. This report sets out the debate and explores the issues using research based data from the Labour Market Outlook, produced in partnership with SuccessFactors, an SAP company and the Employee Outlook, produced in partnership with Halogen.
"The context for zero-hours working is a long-term trend towards more flexible and diverse forms of work capable of meeting the needs of employers and individuals."
The debate has centred around two main issues:
- What are the rights and wrongs of zero-hours working? Are they a way of employers reducing their labour costs and retaining maximum flexibility in a time of economic uncertainty at the expense of job and financial security on the part of the individual?
- Or do they provide flexibility that works for both the employer and the individual, enabling organisations to respond to peaks and troughs in demand and people to manage caring responsibilities, study, improve their work–life balance or to downshift from fulltime work as they move more flexibly into retirement?
- How many people are really engaged on zero-hours contracts in the UK and to what extent are their numbers increasing?
The report includes recommendations for employers, government and policy makers and also sets out the CIPD case for good practice. Download the report below.
CIPD Trust
Tackling barriers to work today whilst creating inclusive workplaces of tomorrow.
Bullying
and harassment
Discover our practice guidance and recommendations to tackle bullying and harassment in the workplace.
Insight from the CIPD’s survey into factors driving pay decisions in UK workplaces and recommendations for practice
Find out about the importance of neuroinclusive workplaces, what employers are doing and the working experiences of neurodivergent and neurotypical employees
A report seeking common ground in skills policy across the UK’s four nations
Insight into how global issues are impacting people professionals in the UK, Ireland, Asia-Pacific, MENA and Canada
What this practice is, why you should avoid it, and how to approach it if no other options are available
The 'Retained EU law bill', or REUL, changes UK employment law.
The CIPD's dedicated legal resource on holiday entitlement for all types of worker. This page includes guidance on applying the working time directive and how the UK court system sees legal claims against employers on annual leave matters.