The stress of zero hour contracts
A zero-hour contract means employer is not obliged to provide a minimum nor consistent number of working hours to its employees. It’s the type of employment that often favours the employer, as they only pay staff as and when they need them, nor do they have to pay additional obligatory benefits, such as pension contributions, or holiday and sick pay. A lean workforce is maintained, flexibility ensued, and a business can be quick to respond to seasonal fluctuations or otherwise.
As an autistic person, I struggle with stress and anxiety, and this is quickly exacerbated by any type of uncertainty and change. I have great organisational skills and can easily compartmentalise my day, week, month into neat lists and boxes, and enjoy doing this. It gives me a sense of routine, which in turn provides me with great consistency and joy. I thrive in this environment and experience better health and wellbeing overall.
But every time I’ve had a zero-hour contract (I’ve had a few), I’ve been consumed and affected with unrest, and higher than my usual levels of anxiety
In one instance: the uncertainty of not knowing what my hours will be, when I will receive a new client, the lag time between a new client being announced to actually working with them, the contract with the client falling through, the client not showing up, or them going away on holiday – all these factors are hugely stressful and a lot to consider. And not only does it affect my routine, but my cashflow situation. I’m unable to plan my income, and as a result end up taking up more ad-hoc pieces of work, to ensure I have more money – in case I end up with less.
There’s a constant battle of balance and worry, and it’s tricky to be able to rely on such unpredictable income when you know you have your regular outgoings that have to be met
There are different types of scenarios where a zero-hour contract may be used, but ultimately you work when your employer needs you to, which can mean working different hours each day or week. You need to be able to put extra money aside for your private pension, as your employer won’t be contributing towards your retirement, as well as putting a buffer in place for when you are unwell and can’t work – or simply wish to have time off. In some cases, statutory sick and holiday pay is paid, but it depends on the number of hours worked, in addition to what your employer ultimately decides to offer you. Though obliged to pay the national minimum wage, zero-hour contracts are notoriously low paid, so it may not always be easy to save outside of paying for your essentials, particularly with the current cost-of-living crisis.
A zero-hour contract can also affect your ability to integrate within the organisation and feel connected. I know that this is one aspect I am currently greatly impacted by, as I don’t feel I know my colleagues well; I’ve have only seen some of them online (others not even that), or just generally have that lack of association with them through the very nature and style of how we work. As an autistic person, I feel it takes me longer to get used to different people and situations, and to develop that trust over a period of time.
In every zero-hour contract I’ve had, I’ve never managed to sustain that sense of relationship with colleagues in a way I have with other job roles. And for me, that connection and meaning is a significant part of work, and life more generally.
Sadly, because of the autism employment gap, a number of autistic people will end up working in roles that they are overqualified for, or in part time roles, where the contracts are more likely to be zero-hours, which further widens the gap. With such contracts, as well as the added anxiety I experience, I’ve found that the onboarding process is often so poor, that in some cases it has brought about shutdowns or meltdowns. I recently had a zero-hour contract role where I was taken on as an associate and received little to no support in terms of being onboarded. I was sent a series of emails and document attachments to set myself up on their systems. There was no line manager or buddy to check-in with or support me, and I felt so alone, not to mention completely overwhelmed with having to get setup, all by myself, remotely (there was no physical office). This is really poor practise for any new employee, but again, there is a tendency for this to happen on zero-hour contracts, which I feel don’t serve the autistic population (or anyone) well.
I do fully appreciate that zero-hour contracts can be great for some people, including autistic people – I am fully aware of that.
The pros include having the flexibility to take up or turn down work depending on your personal needs, which can be great if you’re managing work around your health
It can also give you employment and experience for your CV, which you may not ordinarily have been able to get. This can be a real confidence booster, as well as giving you an insight into an industry or organisation in a non-obligatory manner. This is all fantastic. I would say for the short term, this can be a real opportunity even. Some people may prefer this way of work more generally, as you can have additional forms of employment, yet not be tied down by any one role. It can offer you freedom and flexibility that traditional employment typically can’t offer. I feel that this way of working would ultimately suit me, but that is if I didn’t have any financial obligations to meet.
I know for me currently, having zero-hour contracts are all too consuming in that I’m always having to consider the work I may or may not be offered, and the impact this will have to both my workload and wider life. It involves a lot of juggling, and it constantly plays in the background of my mind. I also find the whole process of this type of thinking quite relentless and exhausting over time, as it ticks away, and ultimately takes me away from the work itself.
Where possible, I feel that organisations should consider fixed hour contracts to offer some level of security to its employees
This could even be a minimum number of hours each week, and then the employee has the option to work more, if the employer requests this. I feel that there’s always a dialogue to be had between employer and employee, and in doing so, you’ll be building rapport and understanding with your employees. You can be honest about the budget and outline solutions, or alternate ways of working in a collaborative manner. This ultimately is likely to translate into greater productivity, better job satisfaction, loyalty – all of which we know has far greater value for any employer in the longer term.
September 2022
