Why use Zero Hours Contracts in Schools?

6th November 2018

Zero hours contracts have received much criticism from the TUC and political parties with calls for them to be banned coming from some quarters. However, in a 2013 a survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that 65% of workers on zero hours contracts were content with their work-life balance compared with 58% of those on traditional contracts.

So why do zero hours contracts have such a bad reputation? The main reason is that, in some industries, workers are required by their employer to be exclusively available for work for them at almost any time. This means that the worker cannot accept other temporary or casual work from another employer and often they do not receive the same benefits, for example holiday pay and rest breaks as employees engaged on a contract of employment.

The education sector is however very different, with many workers happy to be engaged on supply on an enhanced rate of pay. The school benefit as they are able to bring in someone qualified for the job and from a regular pool on a flexible ‘as and when required’ basis to cover absence and or other commitments.

Supply staff are able to fit their work in school around other commitments, sometimes working in a number of local schools and therefore gaining wider professional experience.

However, in order to ensure that supply arrangements continue to be of mutual benefit to both parties, the following steps are recommended:

• Regularly review the staffing requirements of the school to ensure that the use of supply staff is the best use of the school’s resources.
• Clarify the expectations of supply workers and explain the needs of the school.
• If a post becomes vacant and is likely to need filling on a long-term or permanent basis, consider appointing on a contract of employment.
• Ensure that supply staff are included in internal communications and are notified of any vacancies that they may be eligible to apply for.
• Ensure that supply staff are aware of the required standards and, where appropriate, have access to relevant training.
• Ensure that supply staff are paid on comparable rates of pay to employees working at the same level and engaged on a contract of employment.
• Consider whether supply workers should be eligible for pay progression.

If you would like to discuss the use of supply arrangements or other zero hour contracts in school, please contact you Heads HR Consultant for more details.