Zero-hour contract

A zero-hour contract is a type of <a href="/facts/Employment_contract/c1BxBAkt">employment contract</a> in <a href="/facts/United_Kingdom_labour_law/YlzWsdCM">United Kingdom labour law</a>, between an employer and an employee whereby the employer is not obliged to provide any minimum number of working hours to the employee.
In 2015, employers in the U.K. were prohibited from offering zero-hour contracts that prevented employees from also working for a different employer at the same time. In September 2017, the U.K. <a href="/facts/Office_for_National_Statistics/6cAQI9zH">Office for National Statistics</a> estimated that there were over 900,000 workers on zero-hour contracts, 2.9% of the employed workforce.
In the U.K., zero-hour contracts are controversial. Trade unions, other worker bodies and newspapers have described them as an <a href="/facts/Exploitation_of_labour/SSy9Hk6V">exploitation of labour</a>. Employers using zero-hour contracts include <a href="/facts/Sports_Direct/EEeybIQW">Sports Direct</a>, <a href="/facts/McDonald%2527s/Assda4qC">McDonald's</a> and <a href="/facts/Boots_(company)/Dx4RcS4V">Boots</a>.

Zero-hour contract open-in-new

Zero-hour contract