A poll of 1,000 employers, released today, suggests that 34 per cent of employers in the voluntary sector employ at least one person on a zero-hours contract.
YouGov, on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Professional Development, quizzed more than 1,000 employers on whether they employed one or more staff members on a zero-hour contract. A fifth (19 per cent) of employers overall said they employed at least one person on a zero-hours contract.
Employers in the voluntary sector (34 per cent) and public sector (24 per cent) were more likely to use zero-hours contracts than private sector employers (17 per cent).
Ben Willnott, head of public policy at the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD), said that for the purposes of the survey the 'voluntary sector' was defined as charities and the not-for-profit sector, such as social enterprises and co-operatives.
Not all zero hours contracts are bad
According to Jonathan Bruck, a senior solicitor at IBB solicitors. "A zero-hours contract enables an organisation to contract an individual to work without any obligation to provide them with a minimum number of hours. Essentially, individuals engaged on a zero-hours basis (often given hourly pay) are only required to work as and when asked to do so. This provides the organisation with greater flexibility in respect of their workforce."
Figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that approximately 250,000 people in the UK are employed on zero-hours contracts, but the CIPD says perhaps as many as one million workers have zero-hour contracts.
In some reported cases employees on zero-hours contracts at large companies often get no holiday or sick pay and have to ask permission before seeking additional work elsewhere.
Unions have especially been critical of zero-hour contract arrangements. Dave Prentis, general secretary of the trade union Unison, said: "The vast majority of workers are only on these contracts because they have no choice. They may give flexibility to a few, but the balance of power favours the employers and makes it hard for workers to complain."
However, Peter Cheese, CEO of CIPD, has said there should not be the assumption that all zero-hours contracts are “bad”.
“There does need to be a closer look at what is meant by a zero-hours contract, the different forms that they take, and clearer guidance on what good and bad practice in their use looks like. And this needs to consider both the advantages and disadvantages in practice for businesses and employees," said Cheese.
He said that while the flexibility may benefit employees such as carers, students and parents with young families, for others the lack of predictable income and hours could be a distinct disadvantage.
“We need to ensure that proper support for employees and their rights are not being compromised through such arrangements," he said. "Zero-hours contracts cannot be used simply to avoid an employer’s responsibilities to its employees.”
CIPD did not disclose how many of the 1,000 employers polled were classed as 'voluntary sector' employers.
It has called for a framework of good practice to be drawn up for zero-hours contracts.
Read Jonathan Bruck's look at the issues surrounding zero-hours contracts.
