Zero hour work contracts can damage mental health - study

[stowpirate]

I wonder how far this decline in workers rights will go before we have flash strikes without any formal union involvement. Such action is dangerous but can circumnavigate anti trade union laws. Or have we all been conditioned by the state to shut up?

If this bollocks continues it will soon be like the erroding of Sunday/Bank Holiday/Night Work? This now being a normal working day for most with no extra pay or days off in lieu. If I was still working I would be sacked for refusing to comply with the terms and conditions of my employment contract!

 

[SpookyFrank]

I wonder how far this decline in workers rights will go before we have flash strikes without any formal union involvement. Such action is dangerous but can circumnavigate anti trade union laws. Or have we all been conditioned by the state to shut up?

I'd say we're already at the point where many precarious workers have very little to lose. Keeping your head down and accepting whatever shit the management throw at you is no longer any guarantee that you'll still have a job next week. Workers are now being regularly cast aside for no reason whatsoever, so they might as well kick up a fuss as their job security basically can't get any worse.

The problem is organisation I suppose. I suspect that this assault on the growing precarious workforce is designed to humiliate, demoralise and terrify people to the point where they aren't able to stand up for themselves. The unions obviously don't give a fuck. The quote unquote labour party has no better idea than to continualy parrot the phrase 'cost of living crisis' with zero analysis of the root causes of that crisis. We've had some minor successes locally with taking collective action against shitty employers but the sheer ubiquity of the problem is pretty daunting.

 

[SpookyFrank]

No doubt the corporations will conduct their own study that will disagree with the findings.

Please select the statement you feel applies most strongly to you:

a) I love working here so much I almost feel bad about getting paid for it.
b) I think I would really enjoy looking for a new job in a fucked up labour market.
c) I'll say anything you want, please just take my feet out of the acid bath.

 

[Dr_Herbz]

I wonder how far this decline in workers rights will go before we have flash strikes without any formal union involvement. Such action is dangerous but can circumnavigate anti trade union laws. Or have we all been conditioned by the state to shut up?

I'd say it's already too late. I think it will be impossible to get people to stand together because people are simply too scared, which is exactly what the employers want.

Maggie will be smiling in her grave.

 

[treelover]

Cheer up – a renewed left is coming
Social democracy's retreat doesn't mean progressive politics is dying. Today's mass class – the precariat – is defining a new agenda

Next year is the 800th anniversary of one of the greatest political documents of all time. The Magna Carta was the first class-based charter, enforced on the monarchy by the rising class. Today's political establishment seems to have forgotten both it and the emancipatory, ecological Charter of the Forest of 1217. The rising mass class of today, which I call the precariat, will not let them forget for much longer.
Today we need a precariat charter, a consolidated declaration that will respect the Magna Carta's 63 articles by encapsulating the needs and aspirations of the precariat, which consists of millions of people living insecurely, without occupational identity, doing a vast amount of work that is not counted, relying on volatile wages without benefits, being supplicants, dependent on charity, and denizens not citizens, in losing all forms of rights.
The precariat is today's mass class, which is both dangerous, in rejecting old political party agendas, and transformative, in wanting to become strong enough to be able to abolish itself, to abolish the conditions of insecurity and inequality that define it. A precariat charter is a way of rescuing the future.

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...p-left-social-democracy-progressive-precariat

According to this academic, Guy Standing, a new class is on the march, 'the precariat' and that historical changes are on the way, debateable at least.

I think he is right in one way, the left globally will now have to take cognisance of people it didn't really acknowledege in the past, disabled people, the multitude of casual/zhc workers, call centre workers, unpaid workers, carers, people who's don't see work as their key 'signifier/identity, etc.

 

[ViolentPanda]

It's Blair's 'flexible labour markets' come to its logical conclusion.

Hardly Blair's.
Blame Friedman and von Hayek, if you have to blame anyone. Blair is just the tail on the neoliberal dog.

 

[ViolentPanda]

I feel fortunate to have a shit full-time job despite the extra workload since they've got rid of staff over the last few years. I don't know how I'd manage in that kind of situation. Hell.

What really worries me is that we've seen the result of this sort of pressure in the US, and while it hasn't resulted in workers "going postal" (yet), it has resulted in an upward trend in suicide among retail workers under such conditions, according to an AFL-CIO paper I read last year.

 

[existentialist]

What really worries me is that we've seen the result of this sort of pressure in the US, and while it hasn't resulted in workers "going postal" (yet), it has resulted in an upward trend in suicide among retail workers under such conditions, according to an AFL-CIO paper I read last year.

I don't think that's going to trouble the consciences of our politicians. We've seen the completely cold response of the DWP to the suggestion that suicide rates amongst benefits claimants are high and rising - they have delivered minimalistic training to staff on how to deal with suicide threats on DWP premises, but have steadfastly refused to acknowledge any evidence to indicate that their reforms are responsible for suicides.

You only have to look at the way they're dealing with this latest Trussell Trust report about the usage of food banks to see how they'll manage it - first they'll rubbish the source, and attempt to suggest that they have some vested interest in reporting a higher incidence of suicide; then they'll dispute the figures anyway, then they'll attempt to suggest that it's some kind of self-serving strategy by the workshy oiks to get out of doing a Decent Day's Work.

I think - I hope - they are only postponing the inevitable, and that the huge social consequences of their actions are simply being kicked down the road, but will eventually accumulate to the point where they can no longer be ignored, even by Cameron and his ilk. But how many will have died needlessly by then, or had the quality of their lives permanently impaired? How many children are growing up in misery, watching the agonies of their parents as they struggle to provide for them, or - maybe worse - watching them give up and join the growing number of people who simply can't cope with the pressures of survival in such a world, and succumb to mental illness, substance abuse, or worse? I wonder what kind of whirlwind we shall reap in a generation from what we are sowing today? There's already quite a lot of evidence to suggest that the "bump" in psychological dysfunction, and substance abuse amongst fortysomethings in certain groups today is a product of the "lost generation" caused by Thatcher's depredations - but what is being done today is even worse, and far more widespread: in 30 years' time from now, we could be seeing an pandemic of fucked-upness, as the kids of today hit their adult stride.

 

[equationgirl]

What really worries me is that we've seen the result of this sort of pressure in the US, and while it hasn't resulted in workers "going postal" (yet), it has resulted in an upward trend in suicide among retail workers under such conditions, according to an AFL-CIO paper I read last year.

Sadly I think it's only a matter of time.

 

[Frances Lengel]

I don't think that's going to trouble the consciences of our politicians. We've seen the completely cold response of the DWP to the suggestion that suicide rates amongst benefits claimants are high and rising - they have delivered minimalistic training to staff on how to deal with suicide threats on DWP premises, but have steadfastly refused to acknowledge any evidence to indicate that their reforms are responsible for suicides.

You only have to look at the way they're dealing with this latest Trussell Trust report about the usage of food banks to see how they'll manage it - first they'll rubbish the source, and attempt to suggest that they have some vested interest in reporting a higher incidence of suicide; then they'll dispute the figures anyway, then they'll attempt to suggest that it's some kind of self-serving strategy by the workshy oiks to get out of doing a Decent Day's Work.

I think - I hope - they are only postponing the inevitable, and that the huge social consequences of their actions are simply being kicked down the road, but will eventually accumulate to the point where they can no longer be ignored, even by Cameron and his ilk. But how many will have died needlessly by then, or had the quality of their lives permanently impaired? How many children are growing up in misery, watching the agonies of their parents as they struggle to provide for them, or - maybe worse - watching them give up and join the growing number of people who simply can't cope with the pressures of survival in such a world, and succumb to mental illness, substance abuse, or worse? I wonder what kind of whirlwind we shall reap in a generation from what we are sowing today? There's already quite a lot of evidence to suggest that the "bump" in psychological dysfunction, and substance abuse amongst fortysomethings in certain groups today is a product of the "lost generation" caused by Thatcher's depredations - but what is being done today is even worse, and far more widespread: in 30 years' time from now, we could be seeing an pandemic of fucked-upness, as the kids of today hit their adult stride.

No doubt. There'll be no messing.

 

[existentialist]

No doubt. There'll be no messing.

The bitterest irony is that they are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

When people go to the Jobcentre, and all they can find are exploitative zero-hours contracts; when they're shoved onto some equally exploitative "work programme" activity, and when it's impossible NOT to be sanctioned for some or other alleged infraction of an obscure rule, the Government are going to find that the people claiming benefits are everything they're accusing them of being - demotivated, unwilling to help themselves, avoidant, and passive.

Except that what the DWP will have achieved is to take a community where those were the minority, and, in the name of stamping out that minority, have created a majority of disillusioned, disenfranchised, hopeless and, essentially, useless citizens within that community. We'll need not to forget that when the next step gets proposed. For all we know, IDS will make irony obsolete by launching a campaign against these "useless eaters".

 

[SpookyFrank]

What really worries me is that we've seen the result of this sort of pressure in the US, and while it hasn't resulted in workers "going postal" (yet), it has resulted in an upward trend in suicide among retail workers under such conditions, according to an AFL-CIO paper I read last year.

I'm amazed there aren't more brutal murders of odious middle-managers to be honest. If I'd been driven to the point of suicide by my employers I'd make sure to take a few of my tormentors with me.

 

[existentialist]

I'm amazed there aren't more brutal murders of odious middle-managers to be honest. If I'd been driven to the point of suicide by my employers I'd make sure to take a few of my tormentors with me.

I think the kind of suicidal behaviour that results in these situations tends to be the rather more passive variety - the suicide of hopelessness and despair rather than that of outrage and revenge.

Though I do think that is probably inevitable that we will see the occasional "gesture suicide" with someone taking drastic steps, such as the couple of parasuicides we've seen at Jobcentres over the last couple of years with people setting fire to themselves - or threatening to do so - on or by the premises. Which, no doubt, will be dismissed by the authorities as some kind of selfish or uncaring gesture on the part of the suicide and oblivious to the irony that it will have been their own selfish and uncaring behaviour that has led to it.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I wonder how far this decline in workers rights will go before we have flash strikes without any formal union involvement. Such action is dangerous but can circumnavigate anti trade union laws. Or have we all been conditioned by the state to shut up?

We're British, we believe in fairness and a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. So yes, the workers will be supported in their strike actions, cos we look after the little man here.

As long as any selfish strikers don't stop me from getting my bottle of triple-extra virgin olive oil, without which my dinner party will be ruined, then I'm right behind them.

 

[amonkeyscousin?]

Bricks in wheel barrows within the next twelve months I reckon.

 

[treelover]

I think the kind of suicidal behaviour that results in these situations tends to be the rather more passive variety - the suicide of hopelessness and despair rather than that of outrage and revenge.

Though I do think that is probably inevitable that we will see the occasional "gesture suicide" with someone taking drastic steps, such as the couple of parasuicides we've seen at Jobcentres over the last couple of years with people setting fire to themselves - or threatening to do so - on or by the premises. Which, no doubt, will be dismissed by the authorities as some kind of selfish or uncaring gesture on the part of the suicide and oblivious to the irony that it will have been their own selfish and uncaring behaviour that has led to it.

It's pertinent to remember that in say the U.S, many at the end of their tether/end of the line for many reason, crime, drugs, violence, etc end up in the privatised prisons, America's Gulags, this is starting to happen here and will get worse as privatisation of the justice system expands.

 

[weltweit]

How do zero hours contracts work when we have the minimum wage. Or is it ok to hire someone for 8 hours a week as long as the hourly rate is above minimum?

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

How do zero hours contracts work when we have the minimum wage. Or is it ok to hire someone for 8 hours a week as long as the hourly rate is above minimum?

You pay the minimum wage or above for the hours worked.

 

[treelover]

One of the consequences of direct payments for disabled people to purchase their care(which in many cases has been liberating, for the disabled person, anyway), is a legion of often skilled care staff paid by the hour, maybe not on ZHC, but certainly on irregular and short notice shifts.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Zero hours contracts are fucking evil; how can you live like that? You hear politico shitfucks banging on about how people like them as it allows them to manage their flexible lives, does it fuck. If you have a zero hour contract you can't get a mortgage or any other type of credit, Wonga excepted, good old Wonga. You can't plan a holiday, or anything, they mean you just about exist, then have no hours and stress like crazy, then a few hours and can feed your kids.

I sometimes wished that god and all that bollocks was real, cos it if was there'd be a special place in hell for all those colluding with this crap.

 

[Citizen66]

I might apply for a zero hour job just to have the satisfaction of letting them down on the first week due to the hours not being flexible enough. In fact we all should. Everyone.

An organised mass time wasting exercise.

 

[amonkeyscousin?]

It's pertinent to remember that in say the U.S, many at the end of their tether/end of the line for many reason, crime, drugs, violence, etc end up in the privatised prisons, America's Gulags, this is starting to happen here and will get worse as privatisation of the justice system expands.

Slaved out to build hs2 and such?

 

[Citizen66]

I sometimes wished that god and all that bollocks was real, cos it if was there'd be a special place in hell for all those colluding with this crap.

Theism's strongest suit is the possibility of Hades for those who enjoy comfortable lives off the suffering of others.

 

[muscovyduck]

I might apply for a zero hour job just to have the satisfaction of letting them down on the first week due to the hours not being flexible enough. In fact we all should. Everyone.

An organised mass time wasting exercise.

Can we pleeeease do this

 

[Dexter Deadwood]

Just for info - If you are a JSA claimant you cannot be sanctioned for refusing the offer of employment if that offer of employment is a zero hours contract.

 

[panpete]

I'm sure they know exactly what they're doing to people, and they either revel in it or simply don't care.

I've thought this for a while now.
I think they want a lot of people to just give up and top themselves.

 

[Humberto]

I've thought this for a while now.
I think they want a lot of people to just give up and top themselves.

That is their job. They've no interests in common with us. Therefore they are against us. Its simple, they have privileges and higher standard of education, our interests clash and they aren't going to play fair.

 

[toggle]

I'd say we're already at the point where many precarious workers have very little to lose. Keeping your head down and accepting whatever shit the management throw at you is no longer any guarantee that you'll still have a job next week. Workers are now being regularly cast aside for no reason whatsoever, so they might as well kick up a fuss as their job security basically can't get any worse.

the problem is that too many people will still see a precarious existence on either shitty or illegal terms and conditions as better than benefits. that's what the scrounger rhetoric is supposed to do, make people so scared of loosing work that they put up with this shit because they know how they will get treated if they don't. done it myself as the alternative to a process that would shit over both of us and subject himself to atos. and it's more tolerable when I've got a better chance to get out of that kind of shit than a lot of others.

 

[laptop]

I might apply for a zero hour job just to have the satisfaction of letting them down on the first week due to the hours not being flexible enough. In fact we all should. Everyone.

An organised mass time wasting exercise.

Just for info - If you are a JSA claimant you cannot be sanctioned for refusing the offer of employment if that offer of employment is a zero hours contract.

But can you be sanctioned for leaving a 0hr contract voluntarily?

(The idea of thousands of people who have jobs applying to piss them around definitely appeals.)

 

[Citizen66]

(The idea of thousands of people who have jobs applying to piss them around definitely appeals.)

Is there a list of companies doing this kind of shit and currently recruiting available anywhere? And can anyone devise a phantom cv generator?