Thousands of HE staff on zero-hours contracts

HR Magazine 07 September 2013

Universities and colleges are twice as likely to use zero-hours contracts than other workplaces, according to a freedom of information request, writes Tom Newcombe for HR Magazine.

The request, made by the University and College Union, found 61% of further education colleges and 53% of UK universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have teaching staff on zero-hours contracts. The request found five institutions had more than 1,000 people on zero-hours contracts.

The union said despite the large numbers of colleges and universities using zero-hours contracts, only a small number said they had policies on them. It said the findings shone an important light onto the "murky world" of the casualisation of teaching staff.
Full report on the HR Magazine site

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