Module Code: FC512 Class/Group: Group E Module Title: Skills for Study for Foundation Business and Social Sciences Students Assessment: Final Essay Assignment Title: Describe and evaluate the benefits of zero-hours contracts to both employers and employees Tutor Name: Dan Spencer Student ID Number: 2229804 Date of Submission: Monday, October 19, 2015 Heather Stewart, an Observer's economics editor in the guardian stated,“Now we have at least 697,000 workers in the economy who don’t know how many hours they’re going to be working.” reference Zero hour contracts are flexible agreements between the employers and employees that do not include the employee’s number of working hours …show more content…
A major advantage to the employer is the increasing power that he/she gains over the employees with zero hour contracts (Griffin, 2013). Thirdly, it is to a great extend the best backup plan to a sudden change and the solution to last-minute events (Pyper and Dar, 2015). It is also the resolution to temporary employees’ shortages (Hotel Industry Magazine, 2014). Other than that, zero-hour contract gives the employer the opportunity to employ more, which results to producing more (Hotel Industry Magazine, 2014). Due to cheap labor, it allows the coverage of various geographical locations at the same time (Freeman, 2015). This means more supply, which equals more profit. Before changes in the organisational behavior, elders were not allowed to work, which meant that their skills would not be used (Norton Rose Fulbright, 2013). However, with zero hour contracts, elders’ skills are retained and employers can benefit from their experiences (Shoesmith, 2015). In many cases, zero hour contracts employ a pool of trained and talented staff who know how the business cooperates and its procedures (Shoesmith, 2015). Consequently, this type of contracts is profitable to the employers. With this being said, zero hour contracts have no disadvantages on employers. After mentioning the advantages and disadvantages of zero hour contracts, this essay believes that zero hour contracts must be banned because it permits employers to be ravenous and to treat employees
The state of the New York doesn’t deprive the rights of the employers to give contracts which relate to the type of the business. However, it protects them since it gives them the capability to determine number of hours which is comfortable to an employee. Actually, this gives advantage to employers since it increases the chance for the employees to be productive. The Fourteen Amendment also protect the employer and should strictly be followed since it gives the right to determine number of hours but responsibly.
Many laborers worked over sixty hours a week, without any breaks. Unions were formed and demanded terms that workers today often take for granted, “8 hours work, 8 hours rest, 8 hours recreation” (Document #5). Regulation was slowly introduced by the government after backlash over lack of intervention. In order for a child to work, the child had to complete “his or her ninth year” of school, work no more than “twelve hours in...one day,” and “attend some school” (Document 4). Although these rules were a step forward, the government still needed to reform the wage gap and ensure that workers would be able to work in conditions that would not risk the lives of any workers.
This paper focuses on the effect that temporary employment such as zero hour contracts have on the wellbeing of employees, it gives a brief definition of what a zero hour contract is, and how they have changed throughout the years eg how they were used in previous years before being called zero hour contracts, why the use of zero hour contracts is on the rise in the UK business market, and investigates the benefits and detriments of these contracts in regards to employees, it will also look at the financial benefits to the employers who use these contracts, and the type of culture that surrounds the employees who are employed on these contracts, It will also investigate
Employers would often require their employees to work long, grueling hours for little pay, often implementing a “sun up to sun down” work day. This is equivalent to fourteen-sixteen hours a day, six days a week. People were okay with this because as long as they got paid, they would do the work. Workers would get paid ten cents an hour. If you were a skilled worker, you earned a little bit more.
After the global financial crisis in the 1970s, British labour market experienced a great shift in the organization and the new distribution of human resources (Hughes and Fergusson, 2004:95). It is undeniable that this economic recession had brought huge challenges to British economic development. The managers of organizations realized the significance of rising to the occasion in order to remain competitive power, which resulted in the emergence of flexible time work systems (ibid: 96). More specifically, zero-hour contracts have been applied. Pardey (2013:6) points out that zero-hour contracts are labour contracts between employers and employees which offer uncertain work and unfixed working hours. According to Tovey (2013), the study from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), nearly 3.1% of British labour force has
That typically being ten hours plus for six days out of the week of course, but nevertheless constant work. Most companies would not hesitate to employ women or children even for the most physical of jobs. This did not change until late into the 19th century as workers formed unions that often imposed change within companies while many more were only infuriating to owners and lead to eviction and firing and soon required a “yellow dog contract”, known to muzzle the workers out of joining a union. “As more and more workers banded together in unions, fearful employers sought a variety of methods to deter organization. One of the most infamous of these was the yellow-dog contract, an agreement in which a worker swore not to join a labor union as a condition of employment”
But what happens when companies start to come close to the 50 employee point? They will cut employees’ hours back to a part-time status to 30 hours in order to stay afloat (Stevens & Harler, 2012). On top of this, employees who
A worker’s working time, including overtime, shall not exceed an average of 48 hours for each seven days. It is currently possible for workers to sign a written agreement to opt out of the 48 hour weekly maximum. The agreement to opt out can be ended by the worker giving notice in writing. Under the Working Times Regulations 1998 the length of the notice required to opt out cannot be for a period of less than seven days or more than three months. Health and safety at work act 1974 also impacts on working time and breaks giving both parties time to recharge not being over tired. The employer has a more productive workforce if it they are not over worked.
Work-life balance has been a popular topic for employees across all age and occupations for years, representing a rising concern of contemporary human resource management and labor policies. This topic has attracted the attention from the millennium generation, who is stepping into the market and beginning to grow a career. Therefore considering the increasing demand, well-designed workforce planning with diverse scheduling options offered to employees appears to be extra credits for most companies. This research paper aims to communicate the positive effects of four-day workweek, and providing support for why employers should adopt this schedule for employees and themselves through 1) introducing background and history of four-day workweek as a work schedule option and 2) demonstrating benefits of four-day workweek from both employer and employees’ perspectives.
Limiting the number of hours an employee could work in a week was another topic addressed by unions. Businesses would take advantage of workers if there was no limit to how many hours a person
For instance, “creating lower minimum wages for students and new hires could preserve jobs” as “the student minimum wage would permit employers to hire season workers without bearing the full cost of adult employment” (Hicks). It is also suggested that after employed unskilled workers work for “more after 90 to 120 days of employment”, they can gain a paid more than from when they started working. This policy could spare the training of those unskilled workers by other employee. These recommendations suggest that instead lowering minimum wage for full-time and long-time employers, lowering the rate for students and new employees and sparing the employees from training unskilled workers could essentially save a company money, while establishing a fairer work environment.
The 4 day work week is not a new idea. It is one that has had its share of controversies over the years. Introduced in the 1970’s the idea of the 4 days work week has been making a comeback as of lately. There are several issues to look at here. One of the main statements in regards to it is that productivity will decrease because of fatigue. A 10 hour work day is too long. On the flipside, another of the main issues pointed out by proponents is that productivity will increase because you will have a workforce with higher morale. In this paper, we will discuss
But what are the consequences for the employees ? The new system scheduling time work is totally irregular and unpredictable which may decrease the employee’s job stability and potentially create financial hardships. The result was a computerized system that totally
Overtime Management is my topic of my essay, my plan is once my audience will start reading my arguments, they will continue reading it, feeling engaged and wanting to know more information about this topic.