Great Britain: record number of “zero-hours contracts”

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the number of workers on a zero-hours contract” doubled in 2012, up to 200,000 people. No amount of working time or pay is guaranteed with these contracts. Employees are always sitting at home waiting for their employer to call, but they don’t have to say yes. They can also ask to work less and look for another job. Nearly a quarter of UK businesses with more than 100 staff have adopted the flexible contract terms following a surge in...