Zero hours contracts

Not that that is an absolute guarantee of anything, but will give you more information.

Was the tenant on the exact same zero hours contract when she rented from the previous landlord?

I wish it was abolished, and lets revert back to the good old method of employment.
This were you agree with your terms & conditions of employment, and also gives you few golden rules as to that employment.
With zero hours I gather you have a day off or time off without pay.
There is no Employer/Employee responsibility's, so if you had an accident at work a zero rated contract gives you no cover, such as sick pay.
Mick

to quote from Tony Blairs speech in 1995

"A Labour government will be part of the European Social Chapter. Part-time employees will no longer be treated as second class citizens. There will be an end to zero-hours contracts. Young people will be properly protected against under age working and joining a trade union will be a matter of free choice, but where that choice is exercised, there will be a right to representation and, where the majority want it, a right to union recognition."


only about 6% of jobs are zero hours contracts and there is a section of the working population who like the 'flexibility' so long as it is not forced on them.

Zero hours contracts can suit some people, if they are run fairly.
If people can accept or turn down work, when it is offered, so that they can fit it into their life along with study / childcare / other job / whatever, it can work out fine for everyone.
It's when the zero hours contract is forced onto an employee who doesn't want that and who is expected to have no other employment or commitments, so that they can be constantly available, that things get difficult.

I have already had a tenant in another house who stopped paying rent and, while not actually trashing the place, caused quite a lot of expensive damage. This was something of a double whammy as we had just spent a lot of time and money refurbishing the house, plus new curtains, carpets, etc. and he was in work.

This woman has a partner (who would not be a joint tenant) and a 20-month-old baby. My every instinct is to say yes, but I don't want to be let down so badly again. These rotten zero hours contracts cause so much angst in so many ways.

Harrigran I agree it's a financial risk taking on a tenant whose on zero hours but she could have been on 30k a year and still trashed the place.

A lady in our street let her flat to a young woman with good references. She paid the deposit and three months rent in advance but unfortunately never paid another penny and also trashed the place. She had to evict her and spend a lot of money replacing furniture, carpets and fittings. Bit of a gamble taking someone with zero hours contract.

My DD did her management training in Mc Donald's Absent . She was on a minimum hours contract meaning that there was a set minimum hours she could be contracted to work although she invariably worked many more. Many of the staff were on zero hours contracts but to be honest they tended to have the opposite problem and staff wanted to pick and choose if and when they worked. My DD said it was very hard getting the young students to work the unsocial hours like evenings or weekends.

Personally I think there should be a formal approach to working contracts and that companies should be forced to make the contracted hours clear from the outset. For example 10 hours per week or 30 and then those who want the flexibility (students and the likes) are happy and those who need a more reliable income can seek contracts with longer working weeks. Zero hours contracts don't benefit anyone in the long run.

I would trust her, as she has good references. It could be my eldest granddaughter, who has a first class degree, but has a zero hours contract in a hotel, where she worked all the time she was taking her degree.
She finished over a year ago, and still cannot get a decent job in her line of work. She might end up having to train to be a teacher!