Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to Table 17 of the EMP17: People in employment on zero hours contracts data released on 14 February 2023, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the increase in the proportion of those on a zero hour contract in temporary work between the October to December period in 2021 and the same period in 2022.

Zero hours contracts are an important part of the UK’s flexible labour market, they are useful where there is not a constant demand for staff, allowing flexibility for both employers and individuals – like carers, people studying, or retirees. For this small group, a zero hours contract may be the type of contract which works best for them.

Research from The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that 65% of zero hours contract workers are satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs, which is similar to the proportion of employees as a whole (63%) [2015].

The Government is supporting a Private Member’s Bill which will introduce a new right for workers – especially those on zero hours contracts - to request a more predictable working pattern.