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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Is it acceptable for social enterprises to use zero hour contracts?

This poll is over 6 years old
 

Research by Social Enterprise Scotland showed a staggering 15% of social firms are using zero hours’ contracts.

Controversial and derided, these contracts have been created by the private sector to keep costs down and profits high.

Many social enterprises say the contracts give them flexibility to fulfil their social mission, while some employees say it suits their needs.

So is it acceptable for social enterprises to use zero hour contracts?

Is it acceptable for social enterprises to use zero hour contracts?

Yes
24
No
50
Options
Voting in this poll has now closed
 

Comments

0 0
William Douglas
over 6 years ago
Everyone should know what is in a contract before signing, so if the so-called zero hours contract does not suit, then don't sign up;. if it does, then go for it. If no one joins the firm, then they will re-write the rules. Simples.
0 0
John Cunningham
over 6 years ago
This survey has over-simplified the issue by the terms of the question posed. It is not a simple binary question as to whether such a contract is acceptable. This being the case the respondent answers do not address the true issue and are wholly unreliable in expressing views, other than to show that the so-called "zero-hours contract" is not looked upon with favour. Such arrangements have existed for many years without causing many problems as there are situations in which they fit the requirements of both parties with no question of exploitation arising. However, in recent years their use has escalated to an unacceptable level and it is reasonable, indeed obvious, that exploitation is occurring at a wholly unacceptable level. It is that situation which makes respondents to the binary question answer as they have done. So, when the question is wrongly put it follows that the answers are unreliable in such a context. It is not the existence per se of such arrangements which is unacceptable to fair-minded people it is the reasons which have caused so many of them to be used to such excess. It is not their use which is necessarily wrong, it is their mis-use, but that is not the question which was asked, and I would suspect that the answers related to the true underlying issue of exploitation arising from such mis-use.
Commenting is now closed on this post