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Whitehead & Phippen (2015) “An investigation into the ideas and effects of zero-hour contracts within the United Kingdom” JRSBM: 1/1 pp189-209

Journal of Research Studies in Business & Management Vol. 1. August 2015

189

An investigation into the ideas and effects of zero-hour contracts within the

United Kingdom

Oliver Whitehead

Andy Phippen

Plymouth Business School, University of Plymouth, UK.

___________________________________________________________________________

Abstract

This research project investigates the effects of the use of zero-hours and how these can cause consequences on

an organisations workforce as a result. These are now commonly used in sectors such as Retail and Hospitality

within the United Kingdom hiring employees on a needs be basis. The research uses key literature to evaluate

the reasons to suggest why these contractual terms are used and why some employees may be happy to work

under these conditions. From using both quantitative and qualitative methods of primary research, this study

gains a broad understanding on the personal approaches and beliefs on this area. From using online

questionnaires, a total of 68 respondents were used to highlight these key trends under a zero-hour contract.

These findings were supported by one to one interviews using 5 individual interviewees. These interviews were

conducted with respondents with first-hand experience under zero-hour contracts giving a valid representation

of an employee’s feelings. The data suggests that commonly; flexibility is an advantage of working under a zero-

hour contract although this is likely to be heavily linked to financial security, a key negative. The idea of

employees being exclusive to their employers is also highly opposed within the research. The value of this

research highlighted that there is a need for increased protection for employees within work. With the

introduction of legislation, employees gain reassurance that organisations will be made more ethical where

workers regain control of their working remuneration.

Keywords

Zero-hour contracts, employee motivation, employment terms, corporate social responsibility

___________________________________________________________________________

Introduction This research project attempts to investigate the growing use of zero-hour contracts within the United Kingdom.

These contractual terms are commonly used employing individuals without guaranteeing that working hours

will be offered. This is highly beneficial for organisations to implement this staffing technique to minimise costs

(Pennycook, Cory and. Alakeson, 2013). Research will therefore investigate the feelings and attitudes of

employees within the United Kingdom. This will focus on personal accounts of how working under a zero-hour

contract has affected them and whether they would choose to work under these employment terms again. These

accounts could either be positive or negative based on the employee’s experiences.

With the practise of zero-hour contracts increasing throughout organisations and the ethical issues that

accompany them, there is a clear need for research to take place. It is reported that there that has been “a 20%

increase in the last year alone”. (Fullfact, 2015) Currently employee’s attitudes towards their use are noted as

negative however the extent of this is not truly determined. In order to gain a better understanding of how

detrimental zero-hour contracts are, research needs to take place to identify common problems cause by their

use. According to The Telegraph, there are growing “concerns some companies were treating staff poorly, such

as not letting them work for other companies, giving them no warning that there was no work and penalising

them if they turned down shifts.” (Tovey, 2013) This is a publicised example of their use. Through conducting

research this is likely to help employees gain equality and stability within their working environment to promote

better living conditions. Additionally, research focussing on the employee’s side of zero-hour contracts could

speed the process of limiting their use within the workplace.



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In terms of significance of the topic with regards to human resource management there are a number of key

areas that this research will consider. One of the key topics here will be the motivation as to why employees

work. Numerous theories have been previously identified however these are written within a general context

that considers an array of factors that the employees need present in order to be motivated. Focussing on what

motivates an employee to work under a zero-hour contract, this research will identify why some may choose to

work under deemed unfair conditions and why employees may be driven to work harder as a result. This will

used previous theories to comprehend each individual’s personal enthusiasm. Another human resource

management topic will focus on the ideas of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This possesses a wide range

of concepts stating organisations accountabilities for the well-being and security of its employees. This will be

viewed in relation to zero-hour contracts identifying which approaches support or oppose the use from the

employer’s perspective.

A key problem likely to arise is the idea of bad publicity and the role that the media plays in sharing ideas and

attitudes of zero-hour contracts. Where misconduct appears to have taken place, media exposure frequently

prompts further investigation, the imposition of sanctions and tightening of procedures to prevent repetition

(Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL), 2013). It is more common that the media perceive their use in a

negative light highlighting poor conditions for employees. This is likely to change personal perceptions

regardless of whether individuals have worked under a zero-hour contract or have been negatively impacted first

hand.

The structure of the project will follow in accordance to the aims and objectives previously stated. The research

will first start with gaining a deeper understanding on the subject on zero-hour contracts. This will be gained

from secondary literature produced from news media, theories and politicians upon the matter. The next section

will introduce the method of how the research will be undertaken. This will identify the research philosophy

used throughout along with the rationale behind the methods of statistical analysis. The third stage will collect

the primary research that in order for the analysis to take place. To be identified within the research

methodology. The following section will be the discussion of these findings. This will use a comparisons of the

findings gained through the different forms of primary data. These findings will then be discussed in an

objective form and supported in line with the secondary research that was gained within the review of literature.

The final stage will summarise on key findings in an overall context. This will present the final data from an

unbiased perspective for readers to make their own assumptions.

Literature Review As stated this project investigates ‘zero-hour contracts’ and the affects that these can have on both employees

and employers. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) there “is no legal definition of “zero-hours

contracts”.” (ONS, 2014, P1) although the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development have attempted to

define it:

“CIPD defines a zero-hours contract as ‘an agreement between two parties that one may be asked to

perform work for another but there is no minimum set contracted hours. The contract will provide what

pay the individual will get […] and will deal with circumstances in which work may be offered and

possibly turned down.” (CIPD, 2014)

“Zero-hours contracts are one major example of how the UK’s working population is being exploited and

undermined.” (McCrory, 2014) These contracts are highly advantageous for the employer as it allows them to

be lean by cutting staff resources if they are not required. However, these could cause potential problems from

the employee’s perspective. Zero-hour contracts give no guarantee on the income employees are likely to

receive resulting in low levels of job confidence and security. This however cannot be assumed across all

employees, some employees may favour these terms for a number of reasons. For example students are able to

return home at holidays and gain hours when available. As a result of the benefits these contribute for both

parties, these are now commonly used in the United Kingdom with around “1.4 million employee contracts that

do not guarantee a minimum […] of hours” (ONS, 2014, P1) this is around “3% of the [UK] workforce” (ONS,



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2014, P12). Bad press and speculation is common for these contractual terms for a number of reasons. It is

known that,

“employees on zero-hours contracts also do not have the same employment rights as those on

traditional contracts, and critics are concerned that the contracts are being used to avoid employer

responsibilities to employees.” (BBC, 2014)

The key literature argument surrounding zero-hours contracts “centres on the ‘mutuality of obligation’ between

the employer and the worker.” (Beardwell and Claydon, 2010, P395) There needs to be a mutual understanding

of the terms of the contract and that both parties have an agreement of what is required of them. “If someone

engaged under a zero-hours contract does not have regular hours of work and is able to decline offers of work

and/or work elsewhere, there is unlikely to be a mutuality of obligation” (Beardwell and Claydon, 2010, P395).

Although the terms of the contract do not state there will be consistent work, employees are expected to be

relied upon when needed.

In order to gain a further understanding of zero-hour contracts as a whole, it is essential to understand why

people work in the first place. Focussing on what motivates individual workers will provide good reasoning to

suggest why employees could be happy on these contractual terms. With research stated from theorists, this will

help to gain a deeper insight into this area. The key motivational theories here to look at are ‘Taylorism’,

‘Maslow’s hierarchy of needs’ and ‘Herzberg’s two-factor theory’, each suggesting that employees work for

different reasons.

Firstly, there is Taylorism. Introduced by Frederick Winslow Taylor, is the idea that employees work solely for

reward. Resulting in the idea of instrumentality, the theory states that “people only work for money.”

(Armstrong, 2012, P55) This opposes theories where intrinsic rewards play a role in motivation. These include

“psychological enjoyment and the satisfaction of challenge.” (Bratton and Gold, 2012, P363) This idea is

explored in more depth within Taylor’s book of scientific management. It is stated that the principle of scientific

management is to secure maximum prosperity for parties, the employer and the employee (Taylor, 1998).

“Prosperity for the employer cannot exist through a long term of years unless it is accompanied by the

prosperity of the employé, and vice versa; the workman [gets] what he wants – high wages and the employers

what he wants - a low labor cost” (Taylor, 1998, P1). In relation to zero-hour contract, it seems that the

employer has acquired their ‘prosperity’ however the employee has not. The employee desires to be on high

wages and receive good rewards for their work but this cannot be assured without a guarantee of hours. With the

employer using zero-hour contracts they are able to keep down their labour costs to be prosperous.

The second motivation theory is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This theory ranks employee needs “with basic

physiological needs at the bottom and self-actualization needs at the top.” (DuBrin, 2008, P375) The lower

deficiency needs need to be satisfied ensuring that the higher growth needs are being met.

The lower needs section focuses on physiological needs and safety and social needs. The lower needs ensure

that the employee is working within the right conditions and that they feel secure within their role. Social needs

are key here as many employees “see their jobs as a major source of [satisfaction]” (DuBrin, 2008, P376). The

higher additional needs, esteem and self-actualization question whether the employee ability is being fulfilled

and therefore reaching their potential. When looking at esteem needs, “occupations with high status are a

primary source for the satisfaction of esteem needs.” (DuBrin, 2008, P376) With employees working under

zero-hour contracts, dependent on whether they rely heavily on their role this hierarchy of needs can be

displayed in numerous ways. An employee who works constantly under these terms may not feel ‘safe’ as they

are unsure from week to week whether they will receive their desired income and hours. According to Heath

(2014) “there’s some pretty sharp practices going around and the growing prevalence of zero hours contracts is

undermining what small sense of security many people had been clinging to.” (Heath, 2014) This reinforces the

minimal safety within these contractual terms. Employees are then unable to be seen within the growth needs.

Adjacently to this, students who may be working on these terms could view their hierarchy of needs differently.



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Being able to pick up shifts and hours as and when required suits the employee well when in need of work. They

are likely to have a good relationship with managerial staff in order to gain these shifts. These individuals can be

placed in the ‘esteem’ section. They feel they have potential worth with their role and are likely to be praised for

their efforts. Being a student it seems unlikely that they are reaching their full potential (self-actualization) as

they will commonly be working towards a larger goal.

The final motivation theorist to look at is Frederick Herzberg, introducing Herzberg’s two-factor theory. This

focusses on both the factors which motivate employees and those that dissatisfy employees. These

dissatisfaction elements are known as ‘hygiene factors’ (Koontz, 2010, P291). These “have no influence on job

dissatisfaction but operate only to increase job satisfaction. [Hygiene factors] are able to prevent the onset of

job dissatisfaction or to remove it, once it has become manifest, but they have nothing to do with job

satisfaction.” (Banerjee, 1995, P81) Intrinsic factors include ‘Achievement’, ‘Advancement’ and ‘Recognition’

whereas hygiene factors range from ‘Working conditions’, Job security’ and ‘Salary’ (Koontz, 2010). When

drawing comparisons between the use of zero-hour contracts and Herzberg’s two factor theory, hygiene factors

play a huge role in motivating the employee. Through a lack of job security, dissatisfaction is likely to be caused

from not having guaranteed hours and an inconsistent salary as a result. In order to successfully motivate

employees these foundations are required to use their workforce to best effect. This idea is highly criticised as it

assumes without the hygiene factors employees are unable to advance and develop their skills.

In both theories Herzberg and Maslow attempt to identify human needs as theories of motivation. “Herzberg’s

needs fall in one or the other category of Maslow’s need hierarchy. It shows that Maslow’s self-actualisation

and all but two esteem needs are regarded by Herzberg as motivational factors. […] Maslow’s social, safety

and physiological needs are regarded Herzberg as maintenance or hygiene factors.” (Agarwal, 1982, P196)

Having reviewed theories of motivation, this next section identifies economist theories of employees and

organisations. This will also focus on the role of the employer and their responsibilities of their employees.

The first theorist to look at is Friedman, stating that “only people have responsibilities. A corporation is an

artificial person and […] may have artificial responsibilities, but ‘businesses’ as a whole cannot be said to have

responsibilities” (Friedman, 1970). This would support the use of zero-hour contracts as the organisation would

not have any social responsibility from Friedman’s perspective. He notes that in some cases individuals act out

of principal and spend their own personal time or money. They are devoting their own resources which are

individual responsibilities, therefore not the businesses (Friedman, 1970). In support of this, Friedman states,

“there is one and only one social responsibility of business – to use its resources and engage in

activities designed to increase its profits as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say,

engages in open and free competition without deception of fraud.” (Mullerat, 2010, P31)

This perspective is closely linked with the idea of neo-liberalism. This supports Friedman as its key themes

surround free-trade, limited government intervention and minimising the concepts of public good. Both

Friedman and neo-liberalism are commonly seen to oppose the ideas of CSR. It is held that the “rise of CSR

can be understood as a contemporary double-movement against global neoliberalism.” (Levy and Kaplan, 2008,

P443) Supported with a view that “there's not much point in trying to persuade neoliberals that zero-hours

contracts – which keep people on a company's books, but without a guarantee of regular work” (Orr, 2013).

Zero-hour contracts “are but one consequence of the rise of neoliberalism. Profits are prioritised over people;

workers’ rights are eroded under the banner of ‘labour flexibility’; and the social safety net is recast as an

unaffordable luxury.” (Gillies, 2013) This justifies the idea that zero-hour contracts do not replicate notions of

CSR and follows suit of ideas introduced by Friedman and neo-liberal concepts. Stated by MP Jacob Rees-

Mogg, supporting the neo-liberal ideas said that;

“Zero-hours contracts are a low proportion of the workforce, they provide a route into employment

and flexibility for staff. They benefit business, consumers and taxpayers by keeping costs down and they



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boost productivity, allowing the efficient use of labour. Those who always know best for individuals are

against them. It is surely better to trust people to decide for themselves.” (Orr, 2013)

The key part here which aligns with neo-liberalism ideas is the point that people should make decisions for

themselves. This opposes idea of public good by not supporting employees to benefit financially but merely

from flexibility. Although Rees-Mogg suggests individuals should decide upon their own employment, the

employment offered is likely to be the only opportunity available. This is a result from the neo-liberal idea of

low government interventions.

These ideas put forward from Friedman are however highly criticized. According to Mulligan (in Nunan,1988),

“Friedman is […] mistaken in thinking that any altruistic policies which interfere with profitability

automatically represent a breach in trust which stockholders have invested in those executives responsible for

enacting such policies.”(Nunan, 1988 P892) The social responsibilities here are placed in each executive to

ensure that profits will be returned and maximized. If these executives were working solely for their own profits,

cooperation would not exist amongst them.

With general elections soon approaching the idea of zero-hour contracts are at a forefront to gain votes and

acquire power. According to Miliband (2015) if Labour is successful and elected, they promise to deal with “the

scandal of zero hour contracts.” (Stone, 2015) However it is proposed elsewhere that both UKIP and Labour

will aim to have this solved offering fixed-hour contracts within a year of employment (Fox Williams, 2015).

This assurance however seems fabricated when the Labour party itself use the contractual terms within their

own employment. It is reported that “36 Labour MPs employed staff on the casual contracts last year. […]

Despite Ed Miliband claiming they have 'no place in the 21st century'.” (McTague, 2015) Further promises from

“the Liberal Democrats suggest that employees employed on zero hours contracts should have the right

to request a fixed hours contract building on the current right to request flexible working. The

Conservatives plan to end the use of exclusive zero hours contracts, a move welcomed by the CBI.”

(Fox Williams, 2015)

With the current leading political parties offering solutions to this problem, the severity and scale of this issue is

highlighted. Being mentioned by all contenders suggests that this is a current area of the UK workforce and

employment that cannot be overlooked. Stated by the Labour party, the Conservatives input [resulted in]

“record numbers of people working fewer hours than they would like, and an increasing reliance on zero-hours

contracts.” (Labour, 2015) They propose the prospect of compensation for the employee if shifts are cancelled

at short notice and banning exclusivity without a guarantee of hours. It is also worth mentioning that views

within Parliament do support the idea of zero-hour contracts. This opposes the idea of the banning of them and

the need for reform. Stated by Vince Cable (2014), “Zero hours contracts have a place in today’s labour

market. They offer valuable flexible working opportunities for students, older people and other people looking

to top up their income and find work that suits their personal circumstances.” (Cable, 2014) This goes against

the other ideas wishing to minimise the use of these contractual terms. If employees are able to gain extra cash

through a zero-hours contract then Cable suggests individuals benefit from the labour market as oppose to it

exploiting them. Cable also supports their use by saying that “Employers need flexible workforces and people

should have the choice in how they work. But this shouldn’t be at the expense of fairness and transparency.”

(HR Review, 2013) It seems that Cable is aware of the dangers these employment terms can have but wishes for

them to still be used throughout organisations. Companies should therefore be able to use these terms providing

they are more ethical within their practice.

Currently within Parliament zero-hour contracts are going through the legislative procedure of creating an act.

This will be known as the “Zero Hours Contracts Act 2014.” (Parliament, 2014) The bill has already gone

through its ‘First reading’ awaiting the second stage on 27/02/15. With this already making progress within the

House of Commons, there seems minimal need for political parties to promise protection if advances are

progressing.



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In order to highlight the relevance of organisations using zero-hours contracts, it is important to use an example

where zero-hour contracts are used throughout the company. A well-known organisation that uses zero-hours

contracts is Sports Direct. It is reported that the “retail sector is one that often uses zero-hours contracts” (BBC,

2015). Sports Direct have adopted the use of these terms in order to be advantageous to itself and its senior

stakeholders within the organisation. This goes against the idea that both the employer and employee should be

benefitting from the flexible terms that can be offered. It has been recently reported that “90% of staff [are] on

zero-hour contracts” (Neville, 2013). It was also found that in 2013 “Sports Direct's entire 20,000 part-time

workforce are employed on zero-hour contracts […] when 2,000 full-time staff are about to cash in bonuses of

up to £100,000.” (Neville, 2013) This is a clear example of when employees have been mistreated by their

employers under a zero-hours contract. As a result, “Sports Direct received much negative Press coverage last

year for its use of zero hours contracts. Ed Miliband branded the company a “terrible place to work”” (Fox

Williams, 2015).

A key point to consider that promote to the negative effects of zero-hour contracts is the portrayal through

journalism. It has been found that feelings surrounding zero-hour contracts have been influenced by the media.

According to Acas (2014),

“[T]he ONS have urged caution in reading too much into the latest figures, arguing that getting

accurate data is partly dependent on an individual’s awareness of their contractual status and that this

perception may have been influenced by the increased media coverage.” (Acas, 2014)

This questions whether there is an equal divide between the positive and negatives effects of zero-hour

contracts. In order to ban the use of these contractual terms it seems there could be an emphasis on negative

experiences that stem from this type of employment.

Currently there has been no research or study to determine perspectives on this. As a result, this research will

investigate into zero-hour contracts to highlight the opinions and views upon the area. The idea of zero-hour

contracts is highly topical at the moment with legislation in the process of being passed and an increase of poor

CSR largely shown within organisations across the United Kingdom.

Research Methodology In order for this research to consider all areas applicable, aims and objectives have been formulated to allow a

generalisable and reliable outcome. These objectives have derived from the overall aim, to investigate the ideas

and effects of zero-hour contracts within the United Kingdom’. These objectives are:

1. To analyse the employee motivations to work and individual drivers for development within their roles.

2. To analyse using secondary literature whether zero hour contracts are commonly used by a wide range of

employers and whether these are beneficial.

3. To conduct both quantitative and qualitative primary research methods. Analyse and discuss the research

findings to highlight common trends and relate these findings to key literature.

4. To conclude on the findings with the key themes that have been taken from the research. Determine

whether zero-hour contracts should be used within organisations from the findings presented.

The philosophy behind this research is positivism. This holds the view that the “research involves a deductive

process with a view to providing explanatory theories to understand social phenomena.” (Collis and Hussey,

2009, P56) By sticking to this research philosophy logical reasoning will be used to so that precision, objectivity

and rigour is applied as opposed to intuitive interpretation (Collis and Hussey, 2009). This ensures the collection

is valid and therefore generalisable to others. Additional areas of positivism that can be seen in this research

through the style of writing, this will be written in a formal style where interviews will use a passive voice to



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gain results. (Cresswell, 2013) Research will involve “rigor and replicability of [the] research, the reliability of

observations, and the generalizability of the findings.” (Sekaran and Bougie, 2013, P29) This will also link

heavily to previous literature and theories to determine whether the findings are in line with the expected

outcome. These philosophical choices are likely to benefit the research by gaining an understanding on the

subject area then using comprehensive literature to argue the findings.

The methodology to gain primary research was split into two parts: quantitative and qualitative data.

Quantitative is “data whose values can be measured numerically as quantities” (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill,

2009, P596) and qualitative which is “non-numerical data” (Saunders et al. 2009, P598) likely to come from an

interview. It has been found that “such integration permits a more complete and synergistic utilization of data

than do separate quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis” (PCMH Research Methods Series,

2013) supporting why researchers would choose to use both methods of collection.

The quantitative data collection used a questionnaire with both a mixture of list and category questions. Having

used online tools such as SurveyMonkey, views and attitudes were gathered upon zero-hour contracts by asking

specific questions to the respondents. These questionnaires were therefore likely to be self-administered,

internet-mediated questionnaires (Saunders et al. 2009). This questionnaire also included a Likert scale. This is

the “most frequently used variation of the summated rating scale [where] the respondent is asked to agree or

disagree with each statement.” (Cooper and Schindler, 2001, P234) This works well as participants may have no

feelings towards statements being asked. “The scale, has a neutral mid-point to allow for the possibility that an

individual may have no opinion on an issue.” (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe, Jackson, 2008, P230) On completion of

the collection, the data was exported from SurveyMonkey and use Microsoft Excel to analysis the results.

Through the use of pivot tables the data was then converted into a more understandable format measuring

outcomes against each other. This identified norms and trends within the research. In addition to this, research

was then also able to be put into diagrams such as pie charts to see how proportionate answers were to each

other. This is known as ‘descriptive statistics’. These “are a group of statistical methods used to summarize,

describe or display quantitative data.” (Collis and Hussey, 2009, P221) From using this form of analysis data

that cannot be understood initially is easily exposed and “positively aids subsequent hypothesis

detection/confirmation” (Lovie, 1986, P165). Other forms of analysis used averages to understand the results.

From using a ‘mode’ this identified the values or responses that commonly occurred. Another option for

analysing quantitative data could use standard deviation. This “summarizes how far away from the average the

data values typically are. [This is deemed] the most frequently used measure of spread because it improves

interpretability by removing the variance’s square and expressing deviations in their original units.” (Cooper and

Schindler, 2001, P443) By commonly using yes or no answers there is no need to for this to be included.

Standard deviation is likely to be used to calculate averages with a wider span of choices to select from.

The second area of methodology as mentioned was qualitative. From using the questionnaire to gain a general

understanding on the subject area, this second method developed a deeper analysis with an opportunity to gain

better results. This aspect was gained from leaving a section within the questionnaire asking whether

participants were happy to be contacted at a later stage. This proved to be very interesting by interviewing

personal perspectives with polar views giving great insights from individual ideas. From investigating rationales

this provided reasoning as to why individuals oppose the idea or why they are happy to be employed under a

zero-hour contract. The structure used within the interview process was ‘face-to-face’ and ‘semi-structured’.

Through using a face-to-face method responses were gained on a personal level instead of using a group

interview. It is likely that using a group increases the chance of dominant participants; some participants are

then likely to follow norms and not reflect personal opinions. According to Collis and Hussey (2009) “the focus

work does not work does not work because one member will is highly vociferous and dominates the

discussion.” (Collis and Hussey, 2009, P156)

From using a semi-structured method the research provided a distinct focus to the study area. This format allows

the interviewer to ask the questions however they see fit providing that all questions obtain answers (Jankowicz,

2000). This also requires that the interviewer is “sensitive to new aspects, issues, and answers offered […] by



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the interviewee.” (Jankowicz, 2000, P243) In order to gain the personal and qualitative answers that the research

requires there was a clear need for open ended questions. These are designed to encourage the interviewee to

provide an extensive and developmental answer, and may be used to reveal attitudes or obtain facts (Grummitt,

1980). The interviews consisted of 7 set questions that asked the participants to speak independently on their

experiences whilst working under zero-hour contracts. 2 of these questions asked the respondents whether they

agreed with statements from 2 well-known politicians. Using statements that supported the idea of zero-hour

contracts and opposed them promoted an unbiased viewpoint for them to consider. On the back of these 7 initial

questions further questions were asked to gain more insight. This is known as probing. Through the use probing

in interviews research gained more feedback, also reassuring the point that the interviewee was trying to make.

This helped gained further insight to the interviewee’s answers. Supported by Galletta (2013), “Probing for

clarification is instrumental in adding meaning and depth to the data.” (Galletta, 2013, P79) The results were

analysed through an ‘informal method’ counting the frequency of “such things as repetitive or patterned

behaviours” (Lindlof, 1995, P216). With this research the decision to use informal methods seems most

appropriate so that key words can be picked up upon when considered important. It is however crucial that the

primary research gained is correctly selected and the data selection process is rigorous, limiting the loss of any

richness. If the research was conducted on a large scale, ‘content analyses’ may be better suited. This is where

“selected items of qualitative data are systematically converted into numerical data” (Collis and Hussey, 2009,

P165). From tallying and ‘coding’ units this method would seem more applicable if the interviewees’ volumes

and sample size was much larger. According to Morse (1994) [in Collis and Hussey, 2009] analysing qualitative

data is based on three key elements. This includes ‘comprehending’ and understanding of the setting of the

study before it commences, ‘synthesizing’ the themes of the research and then ‘theorizing’. The final element is

“the constant development and manipulation of malleable theoretical schemes until the best scheme is

developed” (Morse, 1994, P32). This is a tool of analysis that was used throughout the collection of qualitative

data. Having gained an understanding on the setting of the subject and study through reviewing literature this

was the first aim undertaken. Through then drawing together the different themes of the research this sifted the

results and gained an understanding of the results. The final step was to use the theoretical data to apply the data

to. This was also a key opportunity to look at alternative explanations.

Additional ways of qualitative data analysis can be through “software such as NVivo” (Collis and Hussey, 2009,

P168). “NVivo is qualitative data analysis software designed for work with very rich text and/or multimedia

information.” (Edinburgh University, 2015) This is used to assist with the structuring and coding of the data.

However, it does not analyse the data. As previously stated the decision to not use this method of analysis is

well suited to the research. With only doing a handful of interviews there is a limited need for coding to be

included.

To ensure that all of the data is collected from the interview, these were recorded ensuring nothing was missed.

This permitted a review of the gathered information where responses can be transcribed and kept in paper form.

This was essential to gain an accurate transcript. Evidently there are ethical issues here where the participant

will have to give consent. This is likely to be already given however when the interviewee gives consent leaving

their details at the end of the initial questionnaire. Recordings can however cause a problem if the participant

feels anxious about the use of the information. If interviewees oppose the use of recordings, researchers need to

rely on their own ability to take notes accurately and effectively. (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe, Jackson, 2012)

Consent will however be given prior to the interview taking place.

Findings This section will state the findings that have been acquired through the questionnaire. This will present the

outcomes of the quantitative research that will later be discussed in line with the one to one interviews. As stated

in the research methodology, this data was collected through an online survey (Survey Monkey) ensuring a large

depth of findings could be gained. Through exporting the data from the online survey to Microsoft Excel the

data has been arranged into tables to allow comparison to take place. Percentages have then been calculated to

illustrate the answers from the set questions. This highlights key themes early that can be discussed and



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evaluated at a later stage. The questionnaire collected a total of 68 respondents, all of which had left an answer

to each question. Through using formulas in the quantitative analysis, AutoSum calculations checked to

guarantee no responses were missed. “A range of cells can easily be added using the AutoSum button on the

Formulas tab.” (Johnson, 2013) This was the first step of the analysis to assure no mistakes were made by the

online survey. No questions within the research were skipped apart from the final question, the opportunity

where participants were able to leave their personal details to be contacted at a later stage. This supports the

ethical issue that respondents were able to participate and their views could still remain confidential.

The first question asked the participants their sex. This gained an initial understanding as to whether there was

an equal divide between both males and females in the study. See table below

Table 1: Question 1- Are you male or female?

From looking at Table 1 noticeably there is a slight divide between the numbers of males that took the survey in

comparison to the number of females. The females that had participated were higher at 61.8% as oppose to

males a 38.2%.

The second question aimed to gain an insight into the ages of the respondents. Table 2 (see below) highlights

that a large proportion of the respondents were in the 18-24 year old range. This bracket possessed a huge 64.7%

of the results. There were no respondents however younger than this age group. The results however show a

good balance of respondents over these ages. The 31-40 age range and 41-50 showed similar outcomes to

account for older participants that may have different views on the subject area.

Table 2: Question 2- Please state your age

The third question asked the participants to select a category that best described their job status. This can be

viewed in Figure 1

This depicts the data in a pie chart form. This found that over half of the respondents were ‘Employed and

working full-time’; 57.4%. The second highest answer chosen was ‘Students’. This amount was formed of 17

respondents, which was equal to 25% of the sample size. With both full-time workers and students having a

collective percentage of 82, this provided a good foundation for further research. Students are those who

commonly on zero-hour contracts and those whom are working full-time may have previous experience under

these conditions. Similarly those on full time employment may also have experienced zero-hour contracts whilst

working previously.

Are you male or female?

Answer Options Response Percent

Response Count

Male 38.2% 26

Female 61.8% 42

answered question 68

Please state your age.


Response Count

Under 18 0.0% 0

18 - 24 64.7% 44

25 - 30 19.1% 13

31 - 40 5.9% 4

41 - 50 7.4% 5

50 or older 2.9% 2

answered question 68



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Figure 1: Question 3, Pie Chart – Which of the following categories best describes your employment status?

This form of analysis reinforces that a large proportion of the quantitative research respondents were ‘Employed

and working full-time’. 4 other available selections to choose from received similar figures whereas there were

no retired respondents that completed the survey. Based on the collection of the results being an online survey

this may suggest why retired individuals were not able to complete the questionnaire. The method used may

have been less accessible for them.

Please select sector. If student, choose sector which relates best to your course


Response Count

Accounting, banking and finance 2.9% 2

Business consulting and management 11.8% 8

Charity and voluntary work 0.0% 0

Creative arts and design 7.4% 5

Energy and utilities 0.0% 0

Engineering and manufacturing 4.4% 3

Healthcare 4.4% 3

Hospitality 2.9% 2

Information technology 2.9% 2

Law 0.0% 0

Leisure, sport and tourism 4.4% 3

Marketing, advertising and PR 2.9% 2

Media and publishing 1.5% 1

Property and construction 4.4% 3

Recruitment and HR 8.8% 6

Retail 14.7% 10

Sales 4.4% 3

Science and pharmaceuticals 2.9% 2

Social care 2.9% 2

Teaching and education 14.7% 10

Transport and logistics 1.5% 1

answered question 68 Table 3: Question 4- Please select sector. If student, choose sector which relates best to your course

Which of the following categories best describes your employment status?

Employed, working full-timeEmployed, working part-timeSelf-employed

Professional



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The fourth question was used to understand the sectors that the respondents were working in. This determined

whether the views were widespread over numerous job roles or if it was likely that there would be mutual

feelings and trends within each sector. These results are shown in Table 3. From using a total of 21 working

sectors ranging from ‘Accounting, banking and finance’ to ‘Transport and logistics’, this made sure that

participants were able to select the sector that their feelings were representing. If students were not currently

working in a full time role they were asked to select the sector best relates to their course. It can be assumed that

upon graduation from university they are likely to acquire a role within the sector that they have studied for.

As Table 3 clearly shows, there is a variety of respondents within different working sectors. The two highest

working sectors ‘Retail’ and ‘Teaching and education’ are paired with 10 respondents each. With 14.7% of

respondents coming from the retail sector suggests promise for later views. It is likely these individuals may be

under or could have previously come across these employment terms. This is on the basis that the “retail sector

is one that often uses zero-hours contracts” (BBC, 2015). There was however no respondents that are working

within ‘Charity and voluntary work’ or ‘Law’ whereas most sectors had 2 or more respondents, providing a

good variety for the research.

The fifth question asked the participants there feelings towards different working conditions. These were, ‘Equal

rights’, ‘Fair levels of pay’, ‘Guaranteed hours’, ‘Work flexibility’ and a ‘Sense of purpose and belonging’.

Respondents were then asked to rate each conditions and whether they ‘Strongly agree’ ranging to whether they

‘Strongly disagree’ with their importance. As mentioned before the use of the Likert scale allows participants to

state their feelings towards the condition regardless of whether they have no opinion. This limited the use of

extreme views with the research. The Likert scale results can be viewed through the use of a component bar

chart. “In a component bar chart the bars are subdivided to show further classifications.” (Bedward, 1999, P77)

Figure 2: Question 5, Component Bar Chart – To what extent do you feel these conditions are important whilst working?

The findings state that Equal rights were the most important condition for those that completed the

questionnaire. Approximately 80% of the respondents strongly agreed on this importance whilst only 18

respondents felt this strongly towards flexibility (26% of the respondents). With relation to zero-hour contracts 2

respondents disagreed and 1 respondent strongly disagreed that there was a level of importance to have

guaranteed hours. The idea of a sense of purpose and belonging within the workplace recorded the highest

answer of no opinion suggesting that employees are passive upon this condition. Overall it was common that

respondents either strongly agree or agree with the conditions being present.



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Question 6 asked the respondents whether they felt that zero-hour contracts offer flexibility towards the

employee. This investigated whether participants thought that one of the advantages to come from zero-hour

contracts was likely to be present.

Do you think that zero-hour contracts offer flexibility to the employee?


Response Count

Yes 48.5% 33

No 51.5% 35

answered question 68 Table 4: Question 6- Do you think that zero-hour contracts offer flexibility to the employee?

Table 4 identified that respondents felt there is an equal divide between whether zero-hour contracts provide this

perk to the employee. This is likely to be a result of different experiences from working under these employment

terms, or through word of mouth from others. This point links very well with the next question.

Question 7 determines how many of the respondents had previously worked under a zero-hours contract. This

indicates whether the gained results are from personal experiences or influenced by other factors. This was the

first opportunity where respondents were able to comment upon their answers. Out of the 68 participants 25 of

these left a personal response stating the sector their zero-hour position was in.

Have you ever been employed under a zero-hour contract?


Response Count

Yes 39.7% 27

No 60.3% 41

If yes, what sector was this in? 25

answered question 68 Table 5: Question 7- Have you ever been employed under a zero-hour contract?

These answers provided an array of different sectors giving a wide span within the results. It was clear that a

majority of those who have previously worked under zero-hour contracts did so in the retail sector. This also

highlights that these can be used within other sectors including the Hospitality (including restaurants and

catering) and Leisure and Tourism sectors.

Question 8 allowed the respondents another opportunity to comment upon their answer. The question asked the

respondents if they would work under a zero-hour contract. This was asked as a Yes or No question where

respondents were then asked to comment on their reasons.

Would you work under these employment terms?


Response Count

Yes 35.3% 24

No 64.7% 44

Please state reasons 39

answered question 68 Table 6: Question 8- Would you work under these employment terms?

The results from this questions state that the majority of respondents would not work under these employment

terms. This question also gained additional answers from 39 of the 68 respondents where they stated their



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reasons for choosing each of the options. This then provided great reasons as to why some people would be

happy to work under these conditions and why other would not.

Question 9 was the final question asking the participants for their personal opinions. This question found the

highest level of agreement in comparison to all of the other questions throughout. This asked whether employees

should be held exclusive to their employers under a zero-hours contract. This provided an opportunity for

respondents to state their reasons for their decisions. A total of 34 respondents left their reasons to supporting

their choices.

Do you think employees under zero-hour contracts should be exclusive to their employers?

Answer Options Response Percent Response Count

Yes 5.9% 4

No 94.1% 64

Please state reasons 34

answered question 68 Table 7: Question 9- Do you think employees under zero-hour contracts should be exclusive to their employers?

A huge 94% of respondents thought that employees should not be exclusive to their employers with a very small

proportion (6%) answering that employees should be. The discussion for this point is very interesting with

numerous politicians also holding this viewpoint.

The final question was an opportunity for respondents to put themselves forward in order to provide more

information through an interview. A total of 29 individuals left their details to participate in further research to

develop and help gain a greater insight.

From looking over the current findings it is clear there are a number of correlations within the results presented.

With 65% percentage of the sample size stating that they would not work under a zero-hour contract and 94%

stating that they don’t think employees should be held exclusive by their employers, this could suggest their

decision. If employees were not bound by their employers they may feel inclined to work under these terms. It

could be assumed that this acts as a driver to suggest why individuals are not drawn to be employed by this

contractual agreement.

Another correlation can be seen surrounding Question 5. This focussed on the conditions that employees desired

whilst working. The results gained emphasised the importance of equal rights whilst working. This links closely

with both findings from Question 8 and 9. On the basis that zero-hour contracts are commonly deemed as unfair

and limiting the rights of employees this supports the decision behind the high majority of respondents selecting

no in answer to Question 8. It is likely that respondents also felt that being exclusive to their employers as seen

in Question 9 was unfair and therefore inadequate to promote equality.

Within the comments of the questionnaire a common trend surrounded Question 8 and the idea of guaranteed

hours where a large majority of answers focussed on the lack of guaranteed hours and resulting limited financial

stability. Respondents deemed zero-hour contracts to be stressful suggesting why they chose their answer.

Adjacently, respondents who selected Yes to Question 8 felt that zero-hour contracts allowed them to gain an

increase income where they were able to be flexible on chosing suitable hours. One respondent stated that they

would work a zero-hour contracts providing “there was no clause making [them] unable to work elsewhere.”

This heavily links to the point of exclusivity asked in Question 9. Individuals seem to be influenced by this idea

where some people would not work under a zero-hour contract if this was an agreed term.



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Discussion of the Findings This section uses both the findings taken from the individual semi-structured interviews and the online

questionnaires to discuss and evaluate the use zero-hour contracts. These discussions will use the further support

and contradicting statements that have been gained through the questionnaire through the use of comments

respondents added in addition to their answers. A large majority of these findings are based on personal feelings

towards these contractual terms. These common themes include both positive and negative consequences for the

employee focussing therefore being advantageous in some cases but also detrimental. Through upholding a

positivism research philosophy the findings will be related to past theories to comprehend “social phenomena.”

(Collis and Hussey, 2009, P56) This will therefore use key literature to support and understand the attitudes

respondents possessed.

In order to be consistent within the interviews, a format was created that permitted questions to be followed

whilst the interviews took place. In an attempt to use probing throughout the interviews additional questions

were asked (as previously mentioned) to be exploratory in gaining a greater insight. This also gained

reassurance on the points the respondents were trying to make. Additional questions were then asked on the

back of the pre-planned interview format. This follows the semi-structured plan that the research intended to

implement. All of the interviews that were conducted followed the same pattern although probing questions

differ based on the responses that the participants gave.

The first element of zero-hour contracts to be discussed is the positives of being under these employment terms.

All respondents from the interviews stated that the main benefit of a zero-hour contract is the flexibility. An

example of this can be seen when respondent B says that:

“a positive element that I feel from working under a zero-hour contract is the flexibility”.

This is similar to Respondent C stating that:

“the most positive element […] was flexibility.”

This contradicts the findings from the questionnaire as 100% of the interview respondents found that zero-hour

contracts do offer flexibility to the employee. This was found in Table 4 where there was a 50/50 divide

between whether respondents felt zero-hour contracts offered flexibility for the employee. With only 40% of the

questionnaire respondents having been employed under a zero-hour contract (seen in Question 7) it is likely that

these results may be a misrepresentation of the true benefits. However, it could also be assumed that flexibility

was offered as the employees intended. Respondent A’s interview found that the flexibility was likely to come

from workloads. If the workloads were high then there would be minimal flexibility. Flexibility came from low

demand where the employee was not needed. This can be supported in this interview where it was asked if:

“flexibility was a positive side effect a coming from something negative?”

Respondent A replied by saying:

“No. I needed the money and only had […] 12 weeks […] to earn it.”

Respondent E however found that flexibility was controllable within their role. They were able to swap shifts in

order to be flexible if they had made plans.

According to Bloisi (2007), “the call for acknowledgement of the need for flexibility in working hours could, in

the longer term, actually result in greater job satisfaction and a reduction of the need for absence.” (Bloisi, 2007,

P65) This could therefore motivate the employees to work harder whilst working through the appreciation of the

flexibility being offered. With the findings from the first question of the interviews it is clear common

perceptions on the use of zero-hour contracts are true. “They provide a route into employment and flexibility for



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staff.” (Orr, 2013) It is easy for students to acquire these roles within summer periods whereas flexibility is less

desired when employees require a full-time role.

This idea of flexibility and benefits of not being held to a role was stated in the comments section of Question 8.

A respondent felt that they would work under a zero-hour contract as it:

“doesn't allow confinement and doesn’t create a sense of totalitarianism”.

“A totalitarian state is one in which the government controls almost all aspects of a citizens life.” (Cernak, 2011,

P12) This respondent’s ideology of zero-hour contracts is they are able to work as they please and not forced by

a government or law making it compulsory to work 40 hours a week and pay taxes. The flexibility seen within

zero-hour contracts allows employees to make their own decisions, if applicable of when they would work.

Interview Respondent D, noted that one benefit of zero-hour contracts was that the employee did not have a set

tax rate. The employee was able to earn in some months where they would not be taxed on their income. When

relating back to a totalitarian state, employees are unable to make these choices as these are administered by the

government.

The idea of flexibility in the workplace is not a key factor held in any of the previous motivational theories

stated. This includes Taylorism, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzberg’s two-factor theory. The idea of

flexibility has not been introduced as to why employees work. Employees are commonly working in an attempt

to acquire more money. This is an aspect of Taylorism (1998) where employees receive pay but also flexible

benefits such as hours. This agrees with previous statements of a high involvement with students and those

wishing to increase salaries. “What the employees wanted from their employers more than anything else was

[…] wages. This approach is the rational-economic concept of motivation.” (Mullins, 2010, P256)

From an employer’s perspective the ideas and rationale as to why they may decide to implement a zero-hours

contract for their benefit understood through viewing Atkinson’s flexible firm model (1984). There are a

number of similarities between this model and the intentions adopted by an organisation using zero-hour

contracts. Through using agencies for temporary employees and sub-contracting employees are at the

organisations disposals when they are required. The organisation will possess its core group of employees where

additional staff will be brought in to support. Stated by Lundy and Cowling (1996), “numerical flexibility refers

to the ability to take on or release staff at short notice, assisted by greater use of short-term contracts. Financial

flexibility refers to flexible pay systems based on local conditions, rather than nationally recognised contracts”

(Lundy and Cowling, 1996, P149). This model helps suggest the ideology behind using zero-hour contracts. The

focus is based on the primary labour market where the organisations work in order to support it.

A key point to consider is whether the increase of job flexibility has an effect on job security. A lack of job

security is a negative aspect that many interviewee respondents found. An example of this can be found from a

response from Respondent B. It was stated that as easy as their hours were to gain, these:

“hours could decrease as easily.”

Similar statements were made by both Respondents C and D where they felt there were opportunities for them

to work but the offer to receive hours when suited them was not given. This promotes the point as a ramification

of flexibility there are negatives.

Research by Klein Hesselink and Van Vuuren (1999) investigated “whether job flexibility gives rise to feelings

of job insecurity. It appears that flexiworkers experience more job insecurity than workers with permanent

contracts. For this reason most workers prefer a permanent contract in the future.” (Klein Hesselink and Van

Vuuren, 1999, P273) There are clear similarities within this research and the use of zero-hour contracts. It was

found that “in job flexibility, workers have no permanent labour contract and there is no obligation for the

organization concerning job continuity.” (Klein Hesselink and Van Vuuren, 1999, P276) Employees are not held



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to work by the organisation and are given hours when needed. In relation to zero-hours it is clear that although

zero-hour contracts do possess flexible qualities, they promote insecurities for the workforce. This is a clear

negative aspect of their use. More commonly “organizations increasingly prefer forms of job flexibility

implying less job insecurity above the classic example of temporary hiring personnel.” (Klein Hesselink and

Van Vuuren, 1999, P290) These findings are supported by the comments of the 68 questionnaire respondents.

One respondent’s reason for not wanting to work under a zero-hour contract (Question 8) was due to there being

“no security at all” in their opinion. Respondent A recalled a situation of being sent home hours after arriving

for their shift. This is another example of where zero-hour contracts can promote insecurity.

This idea of low job security would be supported by Friedman (1970) and Sternberg (1998). Friedman suggests

that employees should work as and when the business requires. It would not be the organisations fault if the

employees felt insecure within their role. Where Sternberg also suggests that the “definitive purpose of a

business is always the same – maximising long-term owner value by selling goods or service” (Sternberg, 1998,

P28). With both views in mind, in order to maximise the long term value, ensuring that the employees feel

financially secure would seem unaligned. This would not help the organisation to reach its potential goals by

offering hours to support employees’ families. “Friedman and Sternberg make the assumption that all corporate

objectives should be geared to achieving maximum financial return and value for shareholders.” (Jones, 2001,

P221)

Another key negative found is the lack of consistency in income that the employees receive. Initial results on

this idea were gained through Question 8. A common trend in comments found that a large majority of

respondents would not work under a zero-hour contract as their pay was deemed to be too instable. Comments

stated that:

“zero hour contracts offer no financial stability or the ability to budget” and as a result “you cannot

depend on it as a reliable source of income.”

Answers provided by Respondent B and C supported this by giving their accounts on the matter: They had said

that there was a need to:

“reduce [their] social life just in case my [their] income [was] lower in one month”.

Similarly:

“Income varies massively each month which can affect my lifestyle.”

Zero-hour contracts are then likely to affect financial stability and also employees’ social lives as a result. When

relating these findings Maslow’s hierarchy of needs the lower order deficiency needs are not being met. With

low levels of financial security safety needs are not being met. Also, as a result of the low financial stability

employees are unable to be social in opportunities outside of work. The data suggests that the lower levels of the

pyramid are not being met. Employees are then unable to meet the higher ‘growth needs’. It would then seem

that employees under a zero-hour contract are more commonly unable to reach esteem and self-actualisation

needs. With relation Friedman’s views, “corporate officials are in no position to determine the relative urgency

of social problems” (Aswathappa, 2008, P629). This would suggest that the financial struggles of the employees

are not to be satisfied under the organisation. Employers should “leave the solution of social problems to the

concerned individuals”. (Aswathappa, 2008, P629) This idea is however strongly opposed by the idea of CSR.

“Corporation[s] should be held accountable for any of its actions that affect people, their communities and their

environment. It implies that negative business impacts on people and society should be acknowledged and

corrected if at all possible.” (Frederick, Post and Davis, 1992, P30) If there is a need for society to be positively

impacted, organisations should forgo some profits. Social consequences that are a result of the organisation

should be taken into account within the CSR ideology. If organisations are the cause of the implications or



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problems caused they should be held accountable. This opposes Friedman’s idea where profit is the primary

concern.

In relation to the questionnaire, Figure 2 identified the key conditions that employees desired whilst working.

The results showed that 53 respondents ‘Strongly Agreed’ for the need for equal rights whilst working, where a

remaining 15 ‘Agreed’. These results go against Friedman’s idea of an organisation responsibility as they feel

that equality is essential.

The final aspect surrounding the negativity employees experience under zero-hour contracts is the idea of

personal performances. Respondent A said that disregarding how hard they had worked, they were likely to be

treated as a collective instead of an individual. They would work hard in order to create good impressions in an

attempt to receive more hours although these efforts were not taken into consideration. This opposes one of the

key drivers in motivation; psychological rewards. A large emphasis of motivating employees concerns whether

they receive recognition, praise and being valued as a worker. (Banfield and Kay, 2008) If recognition is not

gained within an organisation it is likely to have a detrimental effect on the company’s performance.

“Motivation leads to performance, and the degree to which a knowledgeable and skilled individual will apply

their best efforts to a task is determined by the degree to which they are motivated.” (Leatherbarrow, Fletcher

and Currie, 2010, P236) Lack of intrinsic motivators therefore negatively impacts both the employee and the

employer.

The fourth question that was asked to the interviewees was whether they would work under a zero-hour contract

again. The common response themes gained were that they interviewees would be under this employment

contract on a needs be basis. Commonly respondents stated that they would purposely choose to secure a more

secure role. Respondent C stated that they would actively seek a role where a zero-hour contract was not in

place. This question is also supported by a previous question within the quantitative research. In Table 6,

Question 8, 65% of respondents said that they would not choose to work under a zero-hour contract. It would

then suggest that a number of employees under a zero-hour contract are employed due to the essentialness of

them requiring work. This works well for employers as there is a high work demand for employees. Employers

are then able to choose to offer hours to suit the business needs with a large labour force at their disposal. If

there was an increase in roles within the United Kingdom with more opportunities present it is likely that zero-

hour contracts would not be used as widely. Employees are likely to choose to employment with more security

and financial stability (common negatives found earlier).

The two final questions that interviewees responded to asked whether they agreed with statements that had been

previously mentioned by two politicians. These can be found in Questions 5 and 6 of the qualitative research.

Each of these politicians possesses a different view on zero-hour contracts. Miliband’s view is against the use of

these contractual terms, seeing them as an incompatible way of building a skilled and productive workforce.

Whereas Cable’s view refers to zero-hour contracts as having a place in today’s labour market, providing

flexible opportunities for those wishing to top up their income.

Miliband’s view received a number of different comments from the respondents however there are common

themes that emerged. Respondents A, B and C mostly agreed with the statement. Respondent A felt that

employers should not use zero-hour contracts, as from their personal account they felt massively unmotivated

whilst working. This was not due to being disloyal towards the organisation but treated unfairly as their

performances were not considered. Respondent A felt productive otherwise the idea of being unappreciated

wouldn’t have been present. Both Respondents B and C agreed on the basis that the irregularity of hours meant

that employees were not as well trained as they could be. This is however not down to the employee but a result

of the low hours and opportunities to familiarise themselves within their roles. On the back of receiving little

hours Respondent C felt that this is likely to lead to low commitment.

Respondent B opposes the statement of an unskilled workforce. This is heavily dependent on the individual in

their opinion. Fewer hours could mean that there is an increase in motivation. Employees could become more



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driven for more hours at other opportunities. In relation to whether they were skilled in this area, they confirmed

that they possessed a bachelor’s degree and is still working in their chosen field. This goes against the idea that

employees are necessarily unskilled.

Respondents D and E disagreed with the statement out forward by Miliband. They felt that their efforts were

provided at the best of their ability. From showing a good working ethic they developed within their role

improving skills and relationships within the organisation.

In comparison to Miliband’s statement, Cable’s idea gains a lot more consistency its feedback. All of the

respondents agreed with Cable’s account of zero-hour contracts and their use. They felt that with regards to

students and the older population they provide a great opportunity to gain an additional income. This however

cannot be said for those working who have dependents and others that rely upon their income. This can be

supported by the results gained from Figure 2 where 37 respondents ‘Strongly Agreed’ that guaranteed hours

was essential whilst working, supported by a further 27 agreeing with this condition being present. On the basis

that 39 of the questionnaire respondents (57%) currently work in full-time employment this supports the

statement made by Cable. This data suggests that more than half of the respondents were not students or retired

where a zero-hours contract would benefit them as a financial top up. Therefore these employment terms are not

suitable to this percentage of the population as there is a large need for guaranteed hours.

Stated by Respondent C, they create an unstable income where employees get used and dropped according to

demand. Evidently this is not suitable in order to provide for others. This common theme is support by

Christopher (2014) where he states that “students, parents, semi-retired and migrant workers might find that zero

hour contracts suit their other commitments such as study, childcare and other jobs.” (Christopher, 2014)

Whereas adversely Nick Clegg “is concerned such contracts are creating a worrying level of insecurity and

making it impossible for families to make financial plans.” (Wintour, 2013)

Conclusion In order to summarise on the findings it is essential to recap on the initial objectives and determine whether

these have been met. Found in the earlier stages of the research four objectives were stated that were to be

followed in order for the research to be conducted successfully. The first objective aimed to analyse previous

theories of employee motivation and what individuals drives employees to work. From looking at well-known

theories such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzberg’s two factor theory, key literature was analysed.

This identified reasons of why employees work under a zero-hour contract and how their ‘needs’ are likely to be

met. The findings would suggest that employees are not motivated by the theories introduced by Maslow and

Herzberg. The theory which links more closely to zero-hour contracts is one introduced by Taylor (1998). More

commonly, employees were working in order to gain financial stability and remuneration for their efforts.

Adjacent to this, employers that implement the use of zero-hour contracts such as Sports Direct dismiss ideas of

CSR focussing on the primary aim to increase profits. This is the main idea put forward by Friedman. It is

surprising that organisations are acting unethically towards their employees but still possess a large market

share. This can be explained by the qualitative data where individuals would work under a zero-hour contract

providing they had no other choice. This assumption could be used to explain why employees decide to work

under this contract.

The second objective focussed on secondary literature and whether zero-hour contracts were commonly used.

Referring to news media and sources such as ONS highlighted the extent of which these employment terms

were used. It is reported that around “1.4 million employee contracts” (ONS, 2014, P1) were used within the

UK, providing a basis for further research to take place. This identified that a large number of employees were

likely to be employed under a zero-hour contract and exploited as a result. Further research identified an

organisation that had gained poor publicity due to their use. This organisation was Sports Direct where more

commonly zero-hour contracts are beneficial for the employers with flexibility gains for the employee.



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The research methodology provided great data collection that was analysed relating to the previously found key

literature. This gave the research a wealth of validity as the results were gained through a majority of full-time

workers with experience amongst zero-hour contracts. The common trends here found that a majority of

respondents would not work under a zero-hour contract due to the lack of financial stability they possess. A very

large proportion of the respondents (95%) also felt that employees should not be held exclusive to their

employers. This was support through the qualitative data collection. All respondents stated that out of choice

they would not work under a zero-hour contract if there was another opportunity available. Their personal

intentions would be to actively seek another role. These key themes also had similarities that were stated

throughout the literature research. Attitudes gained from news media sources were consistent with the

respondents from both forms of data collection. This would suggest that the analysis methods used and the

effectiveness of the theory was well suited to investigate the subject area. The results gained from the qualitative

collection were more valuable to research as more depth was provided. These however accompanied with the

quantitative data supported trends from the initial 68 respondents.

In reflection of the results gained, this research project provides a foundation for further work upon zero-hour

contracts to take place. With the surrounding ideas of CSR becoming increasingly present, this research

highlights the importance of this topic within the workplace. This project provides weight for new legislation to

occur protecting employees and their working agreements. As stated in the literature review, the continuation of

the bill to reach the second stage highlights there is a clear need for protection of employees. Although the date

for the 2nd

reading has not been officially announced, it is reassuring that members of parliament are aware of

this contractual issue.

As the majority of data was collected from employees working full-time and students likely to be employed

upon a zero-hour contract, this provided validity within the acquired results. The demographics are well suited

to those which are most likely to be affected by these terms. Commonly zero-hour contracts are used by

students; however the same cannot be concluded for the aged population. With minimal accessibility to this

older demographic, the statement by Cable cannot be fully agreed with. If the study was to be conducted again it

would beneficial to include this age range within the results.

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Appendix: Research Interview

Have you previously worked under a zero-hour contract?

In as much detail as you can, please explain the positive elements you have experienced whilst under these

employment terms.

Please also explain the negatives.

Would you work under these terms again? If so why?

According to Ed Miliband – “Most employers don't use them because they are incompatible with building a

loyal, skilled and productive workforce.”

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

According to Vince Cable - “Zero hours contracts have a place in today’s labour market. They offer valuable

flexible working opportunities for students and older people to top up their income and find work that suits their

personal circumstances."

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/jul/28/sports-direct-staff-zero-hour-contracts

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/09/zero-hours-contracts-lousy-recovery

http://pcmh.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/MixedMethods_032513comp.pdf

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http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/A_Matter_of_Time_-_The_rise_of_zero-hours_contracts_final_1.pdf

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-policies-what-ed-miliband-says-a-labour-government-would-do-if-the-party-wins-in-2015-9957919.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-policies-what-ed-miliband-says-a-labour-government-would-do-if-the-party-wins-in-2015-9957919.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/10474023/Zero-hours-contracts-unfairly-demonised-research-finds.html

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jul/31/zero-hours-contracts-review-clegg

Documents

An investigation into the ideas and effects of zero-hour ... · PDF filecontracts within the United Kingdom” JRSBM: ... An investigation into the ideas and ... employer using zero-hour