Hundreds of employers have signed up to a campaign aimed at ensuring that workers have secure and stable hours. The Living Wage Foundation said its scheme to tackle insecure work is gathering pace, attracting support from 237 UK employers for its Living Hours accreditation.
The employers are challenging the UK’s culture of precarious employment which sees 6.1 million people struggle to get by without regular hours to make ends meet, the foundation said. Living Hours sees employers commit to providing at least four weeks’ notice for every shift, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this notice period.
They also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 working hours every week (unless the worker requests fewer), and a contract that accurately reflects hours worked. Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “Despite challenging economic times, it’s been fantastic to see such growth in businesses signing up to Living Hours, guaranteeing secure and stable working hours to their employees.
“Reaching 200 Living Hours employers is a significant milestone and means that 80,000 UK workers are now providing stable hours, a decent contract and minimum hours, making it possible to plan a life and a budget. We hope to see many more employers follow suit and join the Living Hours movement – it’s good for business and good for people.”
Ceri Finnegan, senior policy and public affairs manager at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, said: “We know from a survey we conducted last year that irregular and unstable working hours is an issue in the gig economy.
“For people in the gig economy, it causes real problems. Half of the respondents to our survey said their unpredictable income causes financial struggles while their irregular working patterns mean they struggle to care for dependants or take holidays.”
