Women are “bearing the brunt” of exploitative zero-hours contracts
New TUC research reveals women are 34% more likely than men to be on exploitative zero-hours contracts.
As the hugely popular Employment Rights Bill is set to return to Parliament, the TUC hits back at those defending a broken status quo that holds women back.
Women trade union activists from across the UK are meeting in London (5-7 March) to advance the agenda for working women in the UK.
The TUC today (Thursday) warned that women are bearing the brunt of exploitative zero-hours contracts which are “hindering progress towards gender equality”.
New analysis by the union body reveals that women are nearly a third more likely to be on zero-hours contracts than men.
The analysis also shows that:
Women are overrepresented in eight of the ten occupations with the highest number of workers on zero-hours contracts
Women are also more likely than men to be stuck on exploitative zero-hours contracts for longer than one year (69% compared to 64%).
On average, women on zero-hours contracts earn nearly £10 less an hour compared to men not employed on zero-hours contracts.
The union body says this stark gender divide is partly the result of women tending to be employed in sectors characterised by high levels of insecurity and high prevalence of zero-hours contracts, such as social care and hospitality.
For example, there are nearly twice as many women working as waiters compared to men – a profession where 33% of the workforce is on zero-hours contracts.
And three-quarters of care workers, the occupation with the second highest number of zero-hours contracts, are female.
BME and disabled women among most affected groups
Analysis by the union body shows today that BME women and disabled women are among the groups most affected by exploitative zero-hours contracts:
BME women are 103% more likely than white men to be on zero-hours contracts.
Disabled women are 49% more likely than white men to be on zero-hours contracts.
Lack of control and low pay
The union body warns that zero-hours contracts also come with a significant pay penalty.
TUC analysis shows the average zero-hours contract working woman typically earns around £10/hour less (£11.80 an hour) than the average man not employed on a zero-hours contract (£21.20).
But the impact on pay doesn’t stop here.
The TUC says zero-hours contracts give employers complete control over workers’ hours – and therefore pay – meaning workers don’t know how much they will work and earn each week.
The union body argues that this makes it hard for workers to plan their lives, budget and look after their children.
And it makes it harder for workers to challenge unacceptable behaviour by bosses because of concerns about whether they will be penalised by not being allocated hours in future.
The transformational potential of the Employment Rights Bill
The TUC says the Employment Rights Bill – set to soon return to Parliament for Report stage - will play a crucial role in securing gender equality in UK workplaces, as it will:
Ban exploitative zero-hours contracts – including introducing right to notice of shifts and compensation for shifts cancelled at short notice.
Secure access to sick pay from day-one.
Give all workers a day-one right to flexible work.
Introduce mandatory action plans to close the gender pay gap.
Introduce fair pay agreements in social care.
About Women’s Conference
300 women trade union activists from across the UK are meeting on 5-7 March for Women Conference at Congress House, London.
Delegates attending the annual event are discussing issues including the rise of the far and populist right and misogyny in workplaces; women’s health at work; and tackling sexual harassment.
Among the many challenges women in work face, this year the Conference is also celebrating the opportunities that the Government’s landmark Employment Rights Bill will bring to working women.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:
“Everyone deserves security at work.
“But exploitative working practices – like zero-hours contracts – are holding many people back.
“As ever, women workers are bearing the brunt. They are more likely to be concentrated in sectors with endemic levels of insecure work.
"The Employment Rights Bill will bring forward common sense reforms to deliver more secure jobs for zero-hours contract workers and help bridge the gap in pay and rights between men and women.
"Those defending the broken status quo are opposing access to better jobs for women across the country."
On agency workers being included in the zero-hours ban, Paul Nowak said:
"The government is right to close this loophole.
"To properly crack down on exploitative zero-hours contracts, agency workers have to be included.
"Agency workers will now benefit from more security over their working hours and better protections from bad working practices.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Methodology: This analysis is based on Q3 2024 of the Labour Force Survey.
Zero-hours contract prevalence, by protected characteristics
|
| on ZHCs | % |
| Male | 506,488 | 2.9 |
| Female | 641,371 | 3.9 |
Male | White | 379,503 | 2.6 |
BME | 126,985 | 4.3 | |
Female | White | 488,504 | 3.6 |
BME | 152,867 | 5.4 | |
Male | Equality Act Disabled | 95,646 | 3.6 |
Not Equality Act Disabled | 404,936 | 2.8 | |
Female | Equality Act Disabled | 147,135 | 4.1 |
Not Equality Act Disabled | 477,471 | 3.7 |
Average Hourly Pay
|
|
|
|
|
|
| On ZHCs | Not on ZHCs |
Male | 13 | 21.2 |
Female | 11.8 | 18 |
Length of time with current employer for zero-hours contract workers, by gender
| Less than 3 month | 3 months but less than 6 | 6 months but less than 12 | 1 year but less than 2 | 2 years but less than 5 | 5 years but less than 10 | 10 years but less than 20 | 20 years or more | Total |
Male | 53,044 | 50,037 | 80,022 | 94,798 | 135,648 | 44,687 | 30,971 | 14,545 | 503,752 |
Female | 47,957 | 72,387 | 76,201 | 150,999 | 164,240 | 61,459 | 37,984 | 27,826 | 639,053 |
Top 10 occupations using zero-hours contracts
|
| Number on zero-hours contracts | Number of workers | % of workers in this occupation | |||
| % in occupation on a ZHC | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
Kitchen and catering assistants | 24 | 44,879 | 62,858 | 152,105 | 299,191 | 0.9 | 1.8 |
Care workers and home carers | 10 | 18,607 | 83,114 | 236,869 | 770,675 | 1.4 | 4.7 |
Waiters and waitresses | 33 | 25,390 | 67,587 | 95,620 | 185,430 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
Bar staff | 35 | 35,417 | 38,779 | 98,388 | 112,766 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
Sales and retail assistants | 6 | 24,541 | 34,129 | 329,740 | 606,028 | 1.9 | 3.7 |
Delivery drivers and couriers | 15 | 38,795 | x | 258,689 | 23,161 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
Cleaners and domestics | 6 | x | 25,027 | 95,042 | 408,179 | 0.5 | 2.5 |
Warehouse operatives | 5 | 14,796 | x | 307,010 | 104,351 | 1.8 | 0.6 |
Other administrative occupations n.e.c. | 3 | x | 13,711 | 164,912 | 500,660 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
About the TUC: The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together the 5.5 million working people who make up our 48 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.
Contacts:
TUC press office
media@tuc.org.uk
020 7467 1248
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