Zero hours contracts backed by bosses

ONE in five North-West firms back zero hours contracts despite widespread controversy surrounding them, a survey has shown.

The figures are taken from the Close Brothers Business Barometer, a quarterly poll of SME owners and senior management.

Almost 70 per cent of those in favour believe these contracts allow them to respond quickly to fluctuating demand for their services.

A further fifth believe that it would grant their employees greater flexibility in the workplace.

CEO of Close Brothers Asset Finance, Mike Randall, said: “Zero-hours contracts have been the subject of some debate between employers, employees and the Government and it shows no sign of abating.

“According to the ONS, approximately 1.4 million people in the UK are employed on contracts with no fixed hours, representing a significant part of the national workforce who are employed but have no stable income.

“While zero-hours contracts can provide flexibility, they also make things like budgeting difficult as it’s almost impossible to know how many hours you’ll be working from one month to the next.

“Employees are often obliged to work shifts they are offered and some are unable to accept additional work elsewhere without breaking the terms of their contract.”

The study also found that 16 per cent of businesses in the region currently have staff employed on zero-hours contracts, while a fifth are planning to implement them in the near future.
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