Zero-hour contract
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="zero">zero</span>-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="contract">contract</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="In">In</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Zealand">Zealand</span>, <span word="zero">zero</span>-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="contracts">contracts</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="banned">banned</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="parliament">parliament</span> <span word="unanimously">unanimously</span> <span word="passed">passed</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bill">bill</span> <span word="prohibiting">prohibiting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="controversial">controversial</span> <span word="practice">practice</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Zero">Zero</span>-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="contracts">contracts</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="relatively">relatively</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="phenomenon">phenomenon</span>, <span word="something">something</span> <span word="unheard">unheard</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="job">job</span> <span word="prior">prior</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="graduation">graduation</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="college">college</span>.</p><p><span word="Quite">Quite</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="ago">ago</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="was">was</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="but">but</span>, <span word="anyways">anyways</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="key">key</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="zero">zero</span>.</p><p><span word="Zero">Zero</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="naught">naught</span>, <span word="nil">nil</span>, <span word="nothing">nothing</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="crucial">crucial</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="zero">zero</span>-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="contracts">contracts</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="guarantee">guarantee</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span>.</p><p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="definition">definition</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="zero">zero</span>-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="contract">contract</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="employer">employer</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="employee">employee</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="guarantee">guarantee</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="minimum">minimum</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="work">work</span>.</p><p><span word="Actually">Actually</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="minimum">minimum</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="zero">zero</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="there">there</span>.</p><p><span word="Since">Since</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="zero">zero</span> <span word="hours">hours</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="month">month</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="zero">zero</span> <span word="dollars">dollars</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="pounds">pounds</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="pay">pay</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span>. <span word="Zilch">Zilch</span>.</p><p><span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="controversial">controversial</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="deal">deal</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="guarantees">guarantees</span> <span word="little">little</span> – <span word="or">or</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="boil">boil</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="zero">zero</span>.</p><p><span word="So">So</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="view">view</span> <span word="zero">zero</span>-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="contract">contract</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="part">part</span>-<span word="time">time</span> <span word="work">work</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="fewer">fewer</span> <span word="guarantees">guarantees</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="no">no</span> <span word="pension">pension</span> <span word="plans">plans</span>, <span word="okay">okay</span>?</p><p><span word="Hey">Hey</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="zero">zero</span> <span word="amounts">amounts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="permissible">permissible</span>, <span word="what">what</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="benefits">benefits</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="expect">expect</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="for">for</span>?</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="short">short</span>, <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="aim">aim</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="negotiating">negotiating</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="zero">zero</span>-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="contract">contract</span>.</p>
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