Walking the Walk on Zero Hour Contracts

[Jim Gillespie]

Is everyone aware that HBC still employ people on this basis?

[for fawkes sake]

They're quite common within community groups and in adult education and I understand Mr Cranney loves them.

[Jim Gillespie]

Kinda contradicts what Milliband and wee Wrighty say in public somewhat.

Do as I say, don't do as I do.............

[mk1]

CAB has a zero hours contaract. He works zero hours every week  but still gets full pay. The man is a serial sickie-puller. When he worked in the Kremlin he had a year off with 'stress'.

[Paul Bearer]

Cant resist this topic. Zero Hours Contracts.
Think about the Title "Zero Hours Contract" what sort of contract is "zero Hours". See a job advertised as flexible hours, go for the interview, any questions
Ask what hours are required and the employer tells you, we want some one with a flexible approach to working, prepared to work extra hours when we need them to. Your hours will be allocated on a week by week basis, don't worry there is always plenty of work, any questions?
Will I be required to work weekends? yes as the business demands.
What rate of pay will i get? we can only manage the minimum wage.
Is there any sick pay available? No
What about holidays will I get holiday pay? No
Is there a pension scheme available? No
Do recognize a trade union? No
Should I be fortunate to work for you for 12 months would you offer me a permanent contract? No
If there is no work available what arrangements will be made to allocate me the pay I would be due ? None
If my rota time is 12 :00 pm to 4:00 pm what happens if the business demand changes during my shift and I am sent home at 2 :00 pm will I still get paid my four hours? No
If I report for work at the allocated time and there is no work can you send me home without pay? Yes

The employer after being put on the spot by someone who has a little bit of common sense realizes that the person could well be a threat replies. Let me make it perfectly clear, you will not be guaranteed any work at all, even if we give 4 hours work on a particular day and you turn up we can send you home without pay if we dont need you, in fact we can do that at any time. We dont pay holiday pay, we have no sick scheme, we have no intention of offering a pension. Even if we give you a start if we dont like you. we dont have to offer you any more work.

How could anyone be foolish enough to sign a Zero Hours Contract. the word "contract" has absolutely no meaning, a contract is between two parties agreeing on terms and conditions. In this case the employer has all the say on terms on conditions, he doesn't guarantee anything, zilch , nil, nadda, bot all.

Meanwhile if you are considering signing a "zero hours contract" think, the only people who benefit from these archaic, inhuman and totally void of any validity will be your employer, you will be subject to not knowing if and when there will be any work, what if any sort of money you will have coming in, how to budget. The financial implications are dire. You will be unable to get credit, a mortgage, book holidays, save, plan for you and your children s future.

You will also be required to sign off the unemployment register

This is something I feel very strongly about, Hartlepool Council should condemn Zero Hours Contracts and make it quite clear to the people of Hartlepool they will not offer any contracts for work to any company that has these inhuman arrangements in regard to their current and future employees.

Over to you all future prospective MPs and Councillors, can you say quite categorically, if elected you will ensure the employers who operate these so called "contracts" are not offered any work by HBC and furthermore you will ensure  they will become illegal in any new administration.

[fred c]

Cant resist this topic. Zero Hours Contracts.
Think about the Title "Zero Hours Contract" what sort of contract is "zero Hours". See a job advertised as flexible hours, go for the interview, any questions
Ask what hours are required and the employer tells you, we want some one with a flexible approach to working, prepared to work extra hours when we need them to. Your hours will be allocated on a week by week basis, don't worry there is always plenty of work, any questions?
Will I be required to work weekends? yes as the business demands.
What rate of pay will i get? we can only manage the minimum wage.
Is there any sick pay available? No
What about holidays will I get holiday pay? No
Is there a pension scheme available? No
Do recognize a trade union? No
Should I be fortunate to work for you for 12 months would you offer me a permanent contract? No
If there is no work available what arrangements will be made to allocate me the pay I would be due ? None
If my rota time is 12 :00 pm to 4:00 pm what happens if the business demand changes during my shift and I am sent home at 2 :00 pm will I still get paid my four hours? No
If I report for work at the allocated time and there is no work can you send me home without pay? Yes

The employer after being put on the spot by someone who has a little bit of common sense realizes that the person could well be a threat replies. Let me make it perfectly clear, you will not be guaranteed any work at all, even if we give 4 hours work on a particular day and you turn up we can send you home without pay if we dont need you, in fact we can do that at any time. We dont pay holiday pay, we have no sick scheme, we have no intention of offering a pension. Even if we give you a start if we dont like you. we dont have to offer you any more work.

How could anyone be foolish enough to sign a Zero Hours Contract. the word "contract" has absolutely no meaning, a contract is between two parties agreeing on terms and conditions. In this case the employer has all the say on terms on conditions, he doesn't guarantee anything, zilch , nil, nadda, bot all.

Meanwhile if you are considering signing a "zero hours contract" think, the only people who benefit from these archaic, inhuman and totally void of any validity will be your employer, you will be subject to not knowing if and when there will be any work, what if any sort of money you will have coming in, how to budget. The financial implications are dire. You will be unable to get credit, a mortgage, book holidays, save, plan for you and your children s future.

You will also be required to sign off the unemployment register

This is something I feel very strongly about, Hartlepool Council should condemn Zero Hours Contracts and make it quite clear to the people of Hartlepool they will not offer any contracts for work to any company that has these inhuman arrangements in regard to their current and future employees.

Over to you all future prospective MPs and Councillors, can you say quite categorically, if elected you will ensure the employers who operate these so called "contracts" are not offered any work by HBC and furthermore you will ensure  they will become illegal in any new administration.

12 out of 10 for this post i agree 100% with everything you have said............ but i won`t hold my breath waiting for the shower of S***e that masquerade as the Labour party in Hartlepool to concur.

They haven`t had the decency to address the Manor 4 Residents Scandal.

[Balotelli]

I got criticised recently for being negative about an entrepreneur, who was "the sort of risk taker this country needs to improve the economy".

When I pointed out that this employer used zero hours contracts as described by Paul Bearer and asked who was taking the risk, employer or employee, the person promptly shut up.

[Land Phil]

This sounds something good this group could help push for.

The council signed up for living wage, which I had mixed feelings about, no point paying people wages so they have to claim benefits but what about other poor souls earning minimum wage having to pay taxes to support people on living wage.

Why can't the council do the same thing with zero hours contracts.
Stick to proper contracts themselves and promote other companies doing the same ?

Lots of examples, I recently heard somebody that has to do a 3 hour round trip to "work' saying they sometimes get sent home after an hour if it is quiet.
Shocking.

[Balotelli]

What everyone should do is to compile themselves a list of companies that use Zero Hours contracts.  Then never buy goods or services from them till they behave.  Same goes for tax dodging corporates, don't use them.  Companies will only change their behaviour when consumers take their business elsewhere.

I wonder what would happen if everyone in the town (or being realistic a few thousand) wrote to the council and refused to pay their council tax until they stopped using Zero Hours contracts?

[Riqueti]

HBC have a lot of staff on zero hours contracts. School crossing wardens and dinner ladies. They have been promised contracts but are still waiting...

[whatabouthisthen]

Balotelli. It is against the law to refuse to pay the Council Tax and risks imprisonment. Mind you, if there was a concerted action as pensioners did in the South West a while back, you might get a way with it. Individually no chance.

But don't forget the black economy in the NE is estimated to be several billions of pounds in unpaid taxes. Isn't this just as bad?

[Balotelli]

Yeah, I know it's against the law but if our council won't behave, why should we play ball?

[mk1]

One of the stupidist things anyone can do is not pay their Council Tax. If you persist with this course of action and you are a houseowner the Council will take your house and sell it to recover the money.
If you think I am making it up then I suggest you give it a go.

[Balotelli]

Not strictly true.

They'll use all the usual collections avenues and when frustrated they'll petition for bankruptcy.

If the householder has little or no equity, which few people have, most trustee's will sign away their interest in the property.

As a means of protest it's not without risk and it's not something I'd be wanting to make a lone stand on to be perfectly honest, but as a method of organised protest, witholding (or threatening to withold) several thousand households worth of council tax is a good way of getting their attention.

[Concerned]

I'm late on to this as I don't view the site very often.

I know for a fact HBC do employ staff on zero hours contracts and then treat the staff disgracefully. A friend of mine worked teaching road safety in schools on one of these contracts.

A couple of years ago this work suddenly stopped overnight and she was given no further work. Late last year she got a letter from them saying they were terminating employment, but there would be no redundancy due to the contract status (despite the fact she had work continuously doing this work for 10 years!).

Not an ideal situation given she had a house and family to look after and goes to show that HBC are far from being the fair and caring employer they try and make themselves out to be!

The bit I find hard to believe is that when she asked why the work had stopped was that she was told the budget had been taken to fund a consultant that was working in the department. Again HBC are supposed to be looking after their own staff first as I understood it and it beggars belief they would fund an external consultant over and above teaching children how to cross the road safely!

HBC for you!