Detailed Report: Critical Analysis of Zero Hour Contracts in Business

This report provides a critical analysis of zero-hour contracts, a modern employment model where workers are not guaranteed a minimum number of working hours. The report delves into the advantages of this type of contract, such as flexibility for both employers and employees, particularly benefiting part-time job seekers and those seeking work-life balance. It also explores the disadvantages, including the lack of job security, potential for unstable income, and absence of traditional employment benefits. The report examines the differences between zero-hour contracts and traditional employment contracts, highlighting the shift from employee to worker status and the absence of guaranteed working hours. It further discusses the opinions surrounding these contracts, acknowledging both positive and negative aspects, and concludes that while offering flexibility, zero-hour contracts also present drawbacks for both workers and employers, including the absence of stability and potential for exploitation. The report references several academic sources to support its findings.

Introduction to critical

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Critical thinking is one of the important thing for doing any type field study and practices
for identifying the individual needs for communicating about ideas, making decisions and
analysing the problems. In the present research the concept of zero hour contract is being
critically analysed. The present report reflect on zero hour contract where employees contract
with organization for number of working hours available for them. The terms & conditions of
this method is totally different from traditional method of all contracts of employees.
MAIN BODY
Zero-hour contract is basically a contract that is entered between worker & employer,
where a worker is not required to work for minimum working houses as required by an employee
under employment contract. While all the workers are not obliged for accepting the work which
has been offered to them (Adams, Freedland and Prassl, 2015). This agreement is signed
between employer and workers, employer show the availability for work when the organization
required and that there is no requirement of specific timing and hours of working. The Zero hour
contract basically a contract where a worker is not required to minimum working hours for
employer and work under such contract is done as per availability of work form employers and
time from worker.
There are several benefits from this contract where one of them is flexibility of working
hours which is very good for the part-time job seekers. It also gives an ability to workers leaving
this contract without serving a notice period. With providing flexibility of working hours, it is
also an agreement where there is no guarantee of working hours. There are so many people who
use this contract which allow them to appoint the staff as per demand and at the time of
fluctuation in services whereas, some employers use this because of flexibility and avoiding
payment of fixed overheads to the workforce. It also allows employees for freely doing other
works without supervision of the employer (Datta, Giupponi and Machin, 2019).
The zero-hour contracts does not results from proper planning of working hours in
advance, and it can sometimes lead the worker with no work and also there is no employment
benefit available to the workers as a person gets under normal employment contracts. Under the
zero hour contract there is proper timing of doing work along with no fixed hours for which a
worker is entitled for receiving work from the employer. It does not provide fixed income to the
employees.
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The zero hour contracts generally do not have employee agreement, job contracts and this
method of employment as referred in the law is based on the relationship of employment that is
between employer and worker. But this contract do not allowed the employer to make good
relationship with employees for setting out key terms under contractual relationships. However,
the modern concept of zero hour contract offers the extreme level of flexibility in working time.
This contract boost the living conditions and establishing work life balance as worker can
complete the work within such hours when they are comfortable for doing so. This creates work
and personal life balance of a worker.(Farina, Green and McVicar, 2019).
The zero hour contract is totally different from the traditional contracts of employee that
specify the particular hours of working under the conditions & terms because somewhere it
offers various sets of rights. One of the biggest difference is traditional contract methods people
are called employees whereas, the contract of zero hour method people are basically knows as
workers which is a major difference. The advantage presented to the workers of zero contract s
they can accept or reject the working hours offered to them. From rejecting work by workers
results do not comes in a way of extra penalties.
In present time, for entering into employment there are so many new modes such as zero
hour contract, where, no specify agreed hours of working (Grady, 2017). There are several terms
& conditions in zero contract of employment and do not give a stability of work to the
employees but also gives flexibility to the workers.
Zero hour contract is a new concept which is introduced in the market after all the global
financial problems that hits the markets. It is in the favour of retired people and students for
doing part-time job and who do not have any of expectation of guaranteed incomes. However,
they do not provide a contract where evaluation o the performance of the employees is done on
daily basis. There are several opinions raise for the zero hour contracts with the positive and
negative aspects, as this method is making change in employments factors but is also filled with
inefficiencies (Koumenta, and Williams, 2019).
Zero-hour contracts is a contract which typically concerned with the workers where it
needed basis without any expectation for providing the work to be continued. On the other hand
the opinions that receive from recent analyses it presents so many bias that based ion recent task
and projects that is completed by the employees in recent time. Where the zero-hour contract
view that this contract gives an opportunity to employees to refuse their work without any of
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sanction faced by workers. However, in the traditional contract methods employees have to serve
notice period before leaving the job which takes time to shift their job (Murphy and et.al., 2019).
Under the zero hour contractual agreement there is no hire of permanent employees
where no fixed stipulated working hours are present for doing the work for a company and does
not give a stability in working life. Also, in contract of zero hour flexibility of working hours is
obtained and it appears to be the hybrids of 2 where employees easily enjoy the features of
casual agreements with less expectation of employment contracts. It is the essence of traditional
method contract which extremely different from zero hour contract because there are so many
obligations on the permanent employees for working in business and on the other hand zero-hour
contract workers can freely work and there is no obligation for working within organization.
With this it can be stated that under the zero hour contract there not much terms &
conditions such as daily completing working hours, performing with full efficiency to achieve
the goals and objectives (O’Sullivan, and et.al., 2017). Zero hour contracts provides
opportunities for exploring their skills and abilities and with gives quality time for their life. But
the workers under this contract of employment do not get promotion on the basis of their good
performance also they do not get any type reward and recognition from the organization they
work for as they do not enjoy all the benefits available to an employee having an employment
contract.
In addition to this, the terms & condition which applies in the traditional method s of
employment where several types of responsibility are given to the permanent employees such as
they take risk according to the situation, building good relationship with others, effective
communication, proper planning of things which is imposed on employees but under the there is
no or lesser responsibility given to worker u der the zero-hour contract of work where they have
to complete their work and they work according to their flexible hours (Rubery and Grimshaw,
2016).
In the modern times it is important to have modern employment contract and work as per
the comfort level which provide various benefits to workers. This approach gives comfort zone
to the employees where they can work as per their needs and wants which and is a biggest
benefit to the employees. Also zero hour working gives satisfaction to the employees about their
working life (What are the pros & cons of zero hours contracts, 2019). But it is also argued that
sometimes zero hour concept invited so many criticisms which lies with the nature of contracts
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because in this regards acceptance of the requirements of the employees is not present, and
worker is requited to work without expectation of continues working, stable income, promotion
but also there is no cultural restricting and favouritism among workers which happens under
normal employment.
Contract of zero-hour if ever tested by courts & find to be permanent which brings
contravention with all the principles of obligations of mutuality and it came into a question.
There is no denying where business have right structure affairs & make all the financial
decisions for the purpose of enabling the efficiency of business (Schmid and Wagner, 2017).
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that critical thinking is most important thing
for obtaining any type field study and practices for identifying the individual needs for
communicating about ideas, making decisions and analysing the problems. This report have
been made over zero hour contract, this is identified as modern contract of employment and it is
totally different from the traditional employment contracts. One of the major advantages of this
contract have been identified as time flexibility but this also ave certain drawbacks as well which
includes lack of job security and availability of work all the time. It can be concluded that the
with certain benefits it also brings in some drawbacks well for the workers as well as employer.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Adams, A., Freedland, M. and Prassl, J., 2015. «Zero-hours contracts» in the United Kingdom:
regulating casualwork, or legitimating precarity?. Giornale di diritto del lavoro e di
relazioni industriali.
Datta, N., Giupponi, G. and Machin, S., 2019. Zero hours contracts and labour market
policy. Economic Policy.
Farina, E., Green, C.P. and McVicar, D., 2019. Zero Hours Contracts and Their Growth.
Grady, J., 2017. The state, employment, and regulation: making work not pay. Employee
Relations. 39(3). pp.274-290.
Koumenta, M. and Williams, M., 2019. An anatomy of zero‐hour contracts in the UK. Industrial
Relations Journal. 50(1). pp.20-40.
Murphy, C. and et.al., 2019. Zero Hours Work in Ireland. In Zero Hours and On-call Work in
Anglo-Saxon Countries (pp. 21-40). Springer, Singapore.
O’Sullivan, M. and et.al., 2017. The role of the state in shaping zero hours work in an atypical
liberal market economy. Economic and Industrial Democracy, p.0143831X17735181.
Rubery, J. and Grimshaw, D., 2016. Precarious work and the commodification of the
employment relationship: the case of zero hours in the UK and mini jobs in Germany.
In Den Arbeitsmarkt verstehen, um ihn zu gestalten (pp. 239-254). Springer VS,
Wiesbaden.
Schmid, G. and Wagner, J., 2017. Managing social risks of non-standard employment in
Europe (No. 994969691902676). International Labour Organization.
Online
What are the pros & cons of zero hours contracts. 2019. [online]. Available through
:<https://elliswhittam.com/blog/pros-cons-zero-hour-contracts/>.
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