More regular work and job security are priorities for nearly half of workers on zero-hour contracts, according to a recent study of 20,000 people on zero-hour contracts in the UK.
44% of ‘gig-economy’ workers want steadier hours
Conducted by three labour market economists, the findings of this new survey challenge the assumption that the flexibility offered by zero-hour contracts are always desirable to workers. Almost a third of ‘gig-economy’ workers were forced to accept zero-hour contracts due to a lack of job opportunities.
Just over a quarter of the workers who were surveyed (28%) said they preferred a zero-hour contract to take advantage of the flexible schedule, while 72% of those surveyed stated the uncertainty of work was a worrisome and negative factor of zero-hour contracts.
There are as many as 780,000 people in the UK working without guaranteed hours, and therefore without a guarantee of a monthly salary.
Zero-hour contracts have increased dramatically in the last two decades, with five times as many workers not guaranteed hours than at the turn of the millennium. But the threat of public outrage has led companies to reduce these contracts in the law few months.
The Labour Party and various trade unions have spoken out about the practice, calling for the government to end the exploitation of workers and ban these style of contracts.
Last month the Institute for Public Policy Research, an important think-tank, called for ‘gig-economy’ workers to be paid 20% above the national minimum wage.
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