Casual workers, Agency workers and Zero-Contact hour workers

Across England, insecure work has become the silent normal. Zero-hours contracts, agency placements, now cover millions of people who have the same bills, mortgages and families to support as anyone else. However, these workers have far fewer protections when things go wrong.

The promise of “flexibility” often masks the reality which can be unpredictable hours, unpaid waiting time, and a fear that speaking up will mean being dropped from the rota.

Officially, these workers have rights such as holiday pay, rest breaks, and protection from unfair dismissal after two years but in practice, many never see them enforced.

When your boss can simply stop offering shifts, theory counts for little.

British Trade Union’s built around large collective bargaining sometimes struggle to reach workers spread across agencies, franchises, or on zero contract hours. They can seem to be of little importance.

That is where independent representation, like the Workers of England Union, comes in. Its model of using representatives who are not employed by the same company gives members a degree of independence and confidentiality that matters when power is lopsided.

Employment rights are only real if you can use them

Keep a record of hours, pay slips, and every message from your employer. Know your company’s procedures. And when the first sign of unfair treatment appears or an accusation, a warning, a sudden change in hours, don’t wait. Contact your WEU representative early.

The growth of insecure work is one of the defining labour issues of our time. Behind every “flexible” contract is a worker whose security has been transferred to someone else’s profit margin.

The law offers tools, but enforcement depends on confidence and backing. A Trade Union that understands precarious work isn’t a luxury; it’s a lifeline. The Workers of England Union is a Trade Union that understands these difficulties.

Your job may be labelled “casual,” but your employment rights are not.