Zero hour contracts as a source of job insecurity amongst low paid hourly workers
This report demonstrates that 'zero hours' contracts can be problematic for reasons which have not received enough attention. Moreover, other mechanisms which induce variability in hours and schedules, in order to achieve employer induced flexible scheduling, are equally problematic. There...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Report |
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Individual in the Labour Market Research Group, Cambridge University
2014
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| _version_ | 1797103146431938560 |
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| author | Wood, A Burchell, B |
| author_facet | Wood, A Burchell, B |
| author_sort | Wood, A |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | This report demonstrates that 'zero hours' contracts can be problematic for reasons which have not received enough attention. Moreover, other mechanisms which induce variability in hours and schedules, in order to achieve employer induced flexible scheduling, are equally problematic. Therefore, the public discussion of zero hours contracts must be broadened out to consider problems resultant from wider instances of unpredictable scheduling. Zero hours contracts and other mechanisms of schedule flexibility induce high levels of unpredictable variability into workers' schedules. This unpredictable variability generates job insecurity by engendering uncertainty and worry about future changes to hours, income and schedules. We term this form of job insecurity schedule insecurity. This insecurity often results in feelings of powerlessness and an inability to plan one's life, and in many cases leads to an anxious, stressed and depressed mental state. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T06:15:58Z |
| format | Report |
| id | oxford-uuid:f115e386-543b-4608-b818-0f3c1dcd4dc4 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T06:15:58Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Individual in the Labour Market Research Group, Cambridge University |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:f115e386-543b-4608-b818-0f3c1dcd4dc42022-03-27T11:53:17ZZero hour contracts as a source of job insecurity amongst low paid hourly workersReporthttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_93fcuuid:f115e386-543b-4608-b818-0f3c1dcd4dc4Symplectic Elements at OxfordIndividual in the Labour Market Research Group, Cambridge University2014Wood, ABurchell, BThis report demonstrates that 'zero hours' contracts can be problematic for reasons which have not received enough attention. Moreover, other mechanisms which induce variability in hours and schedules, in order to achieve employer induced flexible scheduling, are equally problematic. Therefore, the public discussion of zero hours contracts must be broadened out to consider problems resultant from wider instances of unpredictable scheduling. Zero hours contracts and other mechanisms of schedule flexibility induce high levels of unpredictable variability into workers' schedules. This unpredictable variability generates job insecurity by engendering uncertainty and worry about future changes to hours, income and schedules. We term this form of job insecurity schedule insecurity. This insecurity often results in feelings of powerlessness and an inability to plan one's life, and in many cases leads to an anxious, stressed and depressed mental state. |
| spellingShingle | Wood, A Burchell, B Zero hour contracts as a source of job insecurity amongst low paid hourly workers |
| title | Zero hour contracts as a source of job insecurity amongst low paid hourly workers |
| title_full | Zero hour contracts as a source of job insecurity amongst low paid hourly workers |
| title_fullStr | Zero hour contracts as a source of job insecurity amongst low paid hourly workers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Zero hour contracts as a source of job insecurity amongst low paid hourly workers |
| title_short | Zero hour contracts as a source of job insecurity amongst low paid hourly workers |
| title_sort | zero hour contracts as a source of job insecurity amongst low paid hourly workers |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wooda zerohourcontractsasasourceofjobinsecurityamongstlowpaidhourlyworkers AT burchellb zerohourcontractsasasourceofjobinsecurityamongstlowpaidhourlyworkers |