An Analysis of Zero-Hour Contracts and Employment Leadership

This report investigates the multifaceted impact of zero-hour contracts on employment relationships, focusing on the experiences of Sports Direct, a major UK retailer. The introduction establishes the definition of zero-hour contracts and their prevalence, setting the stage for an analysis of their effects on the employment relationship. The main body delves into the positive and negative consequences of such contracts, including flexibility, productivity, worker retention, and growth, as well as simplicity and affordability. The report highlights how zero-hour contracts can offer flexibility for both employers and employees, especially students, while simultaneously impacting the employment relationship through potential instability and lack of benefits. The conclusion summarizes the key findings, emphasizing the importance of understanding the complexities of zero-hour contracts in maintaining business profitability and productivity. A reflection section is also included, discussing the skills gained from the assignment, such as research, communication, and time management, highlighting the role of these skills in professional development.

IMPACT OF ZERO
HOUR CONTRACT ON
EMPLOYMENT
LEADERSHIP

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Discuss impact of zero-hour contracts on employment relationship..........................................1
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................3
REFLECTION.................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Zero hour contract defines the term that can elaborates several types employment
contracts between employer and employees within this manager does not have any right to
provide a minimum number of working hours to their working employees. It reflects as a casual
contracts in the organisation. This report includes the discussion on zero hour contracts and also
their impact on relationship of employees and employers. To effectively understand the impact
of zero hour contract on employment relationship it undertakes the Sports Direct that is one of
the largest sporting goods retailing in UK that is founded in 1982. At last it includes the
reflection that helps in analysing the skills and knowledge that an individual person can gain for
developing their career related to professional perspective (Elias, 2018).
MAIN BODY
Discuss impact of zero-hour contracts on employment relationship
Zero hour contract refers to an agreement between employees and employers. It is
effective for describing the several types of employment contracts in this employer are not
provide the minimum working hours to their workers. In terms of Sports Direct manager can
appoint the employees as a zero hour contracts in this workers can perform their task flexibly
without any working hours. In this company hires students and the person who needs job so that
firm will gets the new fresh talent who attain the objectives effectively and efficiently(Kaine,
Flanagan and Ravenswood, 2020).
Employment relationship refer to link between workers and employers. This term is to
be exist within the organisation when a person can perform the services and task in the certain
situation to get the certain amount of remuneration is reflected as a employment relationship. In
terms of Sports Direct manager consider the zero hour contracts within their working
environment in this employment relation is very prominent that get the proficient results
(Murphy and et. al., 2019).
Zero hour contracts can impacted the employment relationship in positive and negative
manner that can be elaborated below:
Impact of zero hour contracts on employment relationship
In zero hour contract employer cannot provide the specify working hour to their
employees that helps the workers to get the flexibilities and ideal work life balance. In this
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employer can arrange the working time as per employee convenience. That is highly suitable for
managing the work and workforce within organisation effectively. It is very common trend
within UK. In present situation many workers are working under zero hour contracts (Valenduc,
2019). It will impact the employment relation in positive and negative manner within Sports
Direct that can presented below:
Positive and negative impact of Zero hour contract on employment relationship
 Flexibility- In case of Sports direct, employer can hires a workers who are working not
on the basis of regular shifts such as students. This term will impact the employment
relation in negative and positive aspects. In context of positive aspect, it reflects that
workers can work according to their convenience because employer cannot provide any
working hours this helps in completing the work on time and in productive manner and
also maintains the relations by reducing conflicts among them. On the other hand, it
impact negatively on employment relationship by not maintaining the effective
relationship between full time and part time workers that affect the working culture
negatively due to this proficiency can be affected (Kutaula, Gillani and Budhwar, 2020).
 Productivity, worker retention- Because of Zero hour contracts, Flexible working hour
are to be implemented due to this productive work can be provided by the worker and it
also retain the employee retention. In terms of Sports Direct, due to zero hour contract
flexibility is to be developed related to working hour criteria which impact positively as
it helps in reflecting the quality work due to which business enterprise can sustain for a
longer period of time. This helps the employer not to pay on regular basis to their
workers that helps in saving the overhead cost. This will also reflects the negative
impact on employment relationship if the employer cannot pay the specified
remuneration to the casual contractor than they cannot done their task properly. Due to
which internal working environment is affected adversely that impacted sustainability
within marketplace (Markey and McIvor, 2018).
 Growth- By implementing the Zero hour contracts within organisation it will impacted
the employment relationship in positive and negative manner. In case of Sports Direct, it
will impacted the employer in positive manner because of getting the new talent to
mitigate risk (Duran, Bishopp and Woodhams, 2019). Because in this employer can hire a
candidate within some contract in which they cannot pay the higher wages that helps in
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maintaining overall cost. It also helps the worker to get the high experience within
reputed company that helps in their future career. This will build a strong relation
between employer and employee because employee can get their pay as per their working
and fulfil their daily convenience requirements at the same time employer cannot face
the burden of regular pay as compare to full time worker. It also impacted negatively
because zero hour contract labour can work similarly to full time workers in peak time
but getting the low amount of pay it will impacted the relation of employee and employer
negatively and due to this task cannot be attained productively and it also affect the
growth of both not in the good terms (Rubery and et. al., 2018).
 Simplicity and affordability- It is one of the major aspect of Zero Hour contract that
will impacted the employment relationship within Sports Direct. In this if workers are not
working effectively then they cannot get the pay for this it will affect the productivity of
company (Campbell and Burgess, 2018). In this simplicity is to be maintained by clearly
communicate the task that helps in accomplishing the targets more specifically due to this
negatively impact also occur because of simplicity workers cannot take the decisions on
their own that creates pressure on employer to take decisions for the task. In this
simplicity can also be reflected in salary paying. In this worker have the financial
relationship with their employer in Sports Direct and not entitled for extra rights such as
leave benefits and other redundancy pay (Urtasun and Nuñez, 2018).
CONCLUSION
From above analysis it is concluded that employment relationship is very prominent for
business enterprise to maintain the profitability and productivity for a longer period of time. In
this Zero Hour contracts are to be inculcate that is very vital get the progressive results within
organisation. Due to this young talent are to be indulged to achieve the target on specify period
of time so that firm will sustain to a longer period of time. This report also helps in
acknowledging the impact of zero hour contracts on employment relationship because it reflects
the several opportunities so that firm will sustain to a longer period of time.
REFLECTION
From the above explanation on impact of Zero hour contract on employment relationship
helps in reflecting my several knowledge related to communication, research, team management
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which helps in developing my professional career. Involving within this report helps in
understand the concept of zero hour contract that is known as casual contractor and not a legal
term. It is highly beneficial for students who wants to earn money by pursuing their studies to
build the professional career. This concept is very useful in developing the future growth because
of zero hour contract I can get the part time job that helps in improving my communication skill.
During this module I have participate in classes to understand the working, team management,
communication, research skill that helps in doing the part time job at reputed organisation.
During this module, new skills that are time management, research etc. I have gained that
couldn't be before. It is very significant to progress the professional career by including in this
module. To enhance the skills I can participate in several types of activities, doing short period
internship so that in dependency behaviour is to be developed. In this I can asked the several
question to my seniors related to developing the skills and behaviour so that it cannot affect my
future growth and development negatively. I feel including in this module is very useful to
improving my overall personality that is highly essential to maintain the standard within society.
Due to this session I have analysed that it helps in becoming a independent learner. For instance-
In this I have to do a part time job where I cannot get the proper guidance related to completed
the task and at that time I have to use the internet to learn independently that is helpful to
complete the task independently. In this my research skills are very useful because due to this I
get the better source to attain the objectives on time. In this I can get the full support of my
seniors due to which involving in the part time job impacted positively on my overall
professional working personality.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Campbell, I. and Burgess, J., 2018. Patchy progress? Two decades of research on precariousness
and precarious work in Australia. Labour & Industry: a journal of the social and
economic relations of work. 28(1). pp.48-67.
Duran, F., Bishopp, D. and Woodhams, J., 2019. Relationships between psychological contract
violation, stress and well-being in firefighters. International Journal of Workplace
Health Management.
Elias, P., 2018. Changes and Challenges to the Contract of Employment. Oxford Journal of
Legal Studies. 38(4). pp.869-887.
Kaine, S., Flanagan, F. and Ravenswood, K., 2020. Future of work (FoW) and gender. In The
Future of Work and Employment. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Kutaula, S., Gillani, A. and Budhwar, P.S., 2020. An analysis of employment relationships in
Asia using psychological contract theory: A review and research agenda. Human
Resource Management Review. 30(4). p.100707.
Markey, R. and McIvor, J., 2018. Regulating casual employment in Australia. Journal of
Industrial Relations. 60(5). pp.593-618.
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.
Rubery, J. and et. al., 2018. Challenges and contradictions in the ‘normalising’of precarious
work. Work, Employment and Society. 32(3). pp.509-527.
Urtasun, A. and Nuñez, I., 2018. Healthy working days: the (positive) effect of work effort on
occupational health from a human capital approach. Social Science & Medicine. 202.
pp.79-88.
Valenduc, G., 2019. New forms of work and employment in the digital economy. In The
deconstruction of employment as a political question (pp. 63-80). Palgrave Macmillan,
Cham.
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