Zero Hour Contracts - the Latest Corporate Tactic

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/aug/06/burger-king-dominos-zero-hour

So, pay people minimum wage, then do not even give them a guarenteed amount of hours per week. My god! This is shocking, reminiscent of the times 100 years ago, when people had to queue every day on the off-chance of someone picking them to do a days work.

This franchisee excuse that the parent companies keep offering up simply does not hold any water; they could contactually force the franchise owner to act in a morally correct manner, but they do not, as they want the franchise owner to make as much money as possiible, so the franchise is worth the maximum.

 

This is in the UK not the US?

I would HOPE that in the US it would be illegal to coerce an employee into staying around off the clock until business picked up.

But it sure wouldn't surprise me to see some companies try it if it were legal.

 

Did someone put a gun to the head of the people who sign these contracts? Seeing as guns are banned in the UK that seems doubtful, so why are you complaining about the choices these people made? So much for free will and liberal thinking, they obviously do not work well together...

 

And if the vast majority of entry level jobs have these contracts and people refused them and were on state benefit, you'd still complain.

 

hmm

so a part time worker in a restaurant has no set schedule, and their work hours are posted a week in advance ie: "the schedule is posted"

Also, if business is slow, hourly workers are sent home because the volume does not justify the workforce

I'm a little bit lost here, am I to be outraged over something?

 

If too many people refuse they won't be able to staff the place, the problem solves itself...

Actually I could care less what Brits want to pay people for their state benefits, its their country...

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I'm guessing a word of the day email, although clearly they don't read the definition...

 

Well, I guess they are trying to blame business for the economic malaise and chronic high unemployment/underemployment of the welfare state.

 

Do you know anything about bargaining theory, Dispondent? If one side holds all the cards and the other side holds none of the cards, how much will the bargain favor the people holding none of the cards? No doubt if they had refused and gone on welfare instead you would have complained about the workers not wanting to seek out honest work.

 

Funny, I never thought of working in a fast food chain as a supper career path, but I guess in the new world normal thinking, it's suppose to be.

 

There is indeed an air "you can't win" on this site.

 

Who holds all the cards? Are there seriously only Dominoes Pizza, Burger King and the few other businesses mentioned that hire people? I never would have guessed...

Although I find it interesting that instead of people standing around and doing nothing and not getting paid the liberals' first alternative is to sit at home doing nothing and getting paid, that says a lot...

 

Perhaps. I'm not familiar with English "labour (sic) laws" however in the USA, you do not need to guarantee hours to part time workers. There is no mandate. That tends to occur within the unskilled labor sector and hospitality industry. Does anyone know if there are reciprocal laws where employers get relief from employees who don't show up for shifts?

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nobody is "standing around"

please read the story. Oh the horror, their work schedule gets posted 1 week in advance.

 

There're mostly Arabs so who cares if our American companies in the UK make them eat pork or starve.

 

That was bad advice, after reading the whole story, I admit I only read about 4/5 of it the first time, there is even less for these liberals to whine about...

 

Um what?

Do you really believe it is okay for a company to insist that their employees sit around off the clock waiting for it to get busy, then what clock back off when it gets slow? LOL

BTW a contract which contains illegal terms is invalid even if both parties agree to it.

 

I think it's OK for people to CHOOSE where they work, and be paid commensurate to their skills/value to the employer.

If any one walking in off of the street can easily learn/do one's job, once CANNOT EXPECT to be highyl paid for doing this job, ergo, one needs to UPGRADE their marketable skills, wouldn't you say?

 

It is basicly legalized theft of labor. The employer owes the worker full wages during any period during which his presence is required in any given location. That damned simple.

 

That is an unacceptable standard in a civilized society. The value of a day's labor is a day's decent provisions. Anything else is peonage.

If it is not worth a day's provisions, you don't need anybody to do it in the first place. Off your butt and grab that mop.

 

Uh what?

Who said ANYTHING about pay rate?

Even the dumbest, most unskilled labor in the world deserves the protection of law. In fact that is EXACTLY the role of government, protect the weak.

 

NO, it isn't. They are FREE TO WORK ELSEWHERE, are they not?

 

Thieves are free to live elsewhere, too. They are not free to steal labor by collusion.

 

As if ALL "labor" is of equal "value".

People are NOT eqaully talented, intelligent, or motivated. MOTIVATION can make up for lack in either of the first two, and NEITHER of the first two, can make up for a lack of MOTIVATION.

Whose responsibility is YOUR LIFE?

The taxpayers?

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In 1999 the company was forced to pay £106,000 in compensation to staff employed on the contracts after staff were made to clock off and stand around in stores unpaid until business picked up.

Make up much bullcrap?

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In 1999 the company was forced to pay £106,000 in compensation to staff employed on the contracts after staff were made to clock off and stand around in stores unpaid until business picked up.


UH-huh...and?

 

Out of curiosity why can't there be a third option of the worker takes responsibility for him or herself and finds a better job by possibly improving themselves.

I have been a mechanic, valet, server, bar back and even a sign spinning guy! (For a week)

All those jobs have driven me to what I am today.

 

These British Obama voters do not have to work there if the pay is not sufficient.

They could be brain surgeons or investment bankers instead.

All they have do is not bring fatherless children into the world.

Stay in school till they graduate with a useful degree.

Stay off booze and addictive drugs.

Study hard, work hard, don't be stupid and the world is theirs.

 

If the greedy maggots get away with stealing labor in one industry, they will do it in another, because nobody will be able to stop them by competing for the same market share.