Negative Effects of Zero Hour Contracts on Well-being and Ethics in Business

This article explores the benefits and drawbacks of zero-hour contracts, including flexibility and affordability, but also negative effects on workers' well-being, social life, and organizational commitment. The author recommends offering permanent contracts with an option to opt into ZHC and replacing ZHC in sectors such as education with fixed-term contracts.

Ethics Working
Collaboratively and
Values

Table of Contents
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
A. Section 1 (Introduction) ....................................................................................................1
B Section 3 (Findings) ...........................................................................................................1
C. Reading the Findings sections 3.1-3.5, what are some of the negative effects of zero hour
contracts on peoples’ well-being?..........................................................................................2
d. Section 5 (Conclusion): What are the author’s recommendations for businesses? How does
this apply to ethics? ...............................................................................................................2

MAIN BODY
Formative Task 2
A. Section 1 (Introduction)
Benefits of Zero-hour Contracts Drawbacks of zero-hour contracts
Flexibility: Zero Hour Contracts help the
employers to deal with the busier periods and
sudden staff shortages.
Affordability: In case of Zero Hour
Contracts, they are much cheaper than paying
commission and agency fees for the agency
workers.
Can lead to full time employment: The zero
hours staff can be taken on full time basis and
leads to secure employment.
Establishment of company values and
culture: Due to high turnover in employees
and workers, it becomes more difficult to
establish vision of the business and what
values it operates by (Dermine and
Mechelynck, 2022).
Different individuals doing the same job:
Due to zero hour contracts, if you have got
different individuals doing the same type of
job, then it could lead to affecting the quality
of work.
Difficulty in getting staff at short notice:
When it comes to zero hour contracts, it is
basically a flexible working arrangement for
them as it is for you.
B Section 3 (Findings)
Some of the participants had positive experiences of working zero-hour contracts. What
kinds of people were typically happy to work zero-hour contracts? Why do you think they
are happy to work ZHC?
1

In case of individuals who are mostly happy to work zero-hour contracts are basically
students and individuals who need flexibility. People are happy to work Zero Hours contracts as
these are particularly appealing to individuals who basically do not want a fix schedule. There
are various reasons why people are happy with zero hours contracts is extra income, work life
balance, needs of organisation, lack of commitment and communication etc.
C. Reading the Findings sections 3.1-3.5, what are some of the negative effects of zero hour
contracts on peoples’ well-being?
In case of individual' s well being, there are various negative effects such as depression,
Anxiety and stress which are highly common for the workers on zero hour contracts due to the
social or financial insecurity. Also due to zero hour contracts, it basically leads to missing out on
benefits and no fixed income due to no fixed hours. Also due to ZHC, it impacted the social life
of individuals as they were not able to plan and predict when they could go to work. Also it lead
to lack of goodwill not going beyond responsibilities and loss in organisational commitment.
Also workers family and social life which is affected by the uncertainty of work (Ginès
Fabrellas, 2019).
D. Section 5 (Conclusion): What are the author’s recommendations for businesses? How does
this apply to ethics?
As per the viewpoint of author's, the use of Zero Hour Contracts has spread to various
sectors that also included education sector. The basic recommendations comprises of offering
workers with permanent contract with a alternative to opt into a ZHC. Another recommendation
basically involves rights for training and also replacing the use of Zero Hour Contract in sectors
such as Education with fixed term contract.
2

References
Books and Journals
Dermine, E. and Mechelynck, A., 2022. Regulating zero-hour contracts in Belgium: From a
defensive to a (too?) supportive approach. European Labour Law Journal,
p.20319525221104167.
Ginès Fabrellas, A., 2019. The zero-hour contract in platform work Should we ban it or embrace
it?. IDP: Revista de Internet, Derecho y Politica, 28.
3