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English
Alternative forms
Adjective
zero-hours (not comparable)
- (UK) Relating to a zero-hour contract or employment.
2016 December 30, Phillip Inman, “Zero-hours workers '£1,000 worse off a year' than employees”, in The Guardian:The pay penalty directly associated with zero-hours work amounted to 6.6% or 93p an hour. For a typical zero-hours worker doing 21 hours a week, it amounts to £1,000 a year.
2017 March 27, Martin Williams, quoting Josh, “The bullying and fear at the heart of zero-hour contracts”, in The Guardian:I’d always heard about other people getting bullied in zero-hours jobs. But I didn’t take it seriously until it happened to me.
2018 March 11, Nick Cohen, quoting James Bloodworth, “Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain – review”, in The Guardian:Journalist James Bloodworth’s story of being ‘embedded’ for six months as a zero-hours worker is vital reading for all[.]
2023 August 17, Aditya Chakrabortty, “Can’t pay and they really do take it away: what happens when the bailiffs come knocking”, in The Guardian:At the moment, she’s a youth worker with the local council, primarily dealing with teens who’ve got into trouble. “I think I can save them,” she says. “Open their eyes to uni or a job.” But she can’t save any money on two contracts, one of which is zero-hours and the other guaranteeing only nine hours’ pay a week.