Older workers now account for a quarter of all zero-hour contract workers in the UK.
The government is being urged to strengthen protections for workers, following a sharp rise in the number of over-50s on zero-hour contracts.
Research by Rest Less, a digital community for people aged 50 and above, shows that more than 300,000 workers in this age group are now employed on zero-hour contracts in Britain, up from 190,000 a decade ago. Older workers now account for a quarter of all zero-hour contract workers in the UK.
Rest Less chief executive Stuart Lewis explained that this increase reflects both the evolving nature of work and the growing pressure on older workers to accept less secure employment. While zero-hour contracts can offer flexibility for some, allowing them to balance work with other life commitments, Lewis said that for others, they are often the only option available and older workers can find themselves “shut out of standard employment opportunities due to age discrimination.”
Lewis is also calling for stronger worker protections in the Labour Party’s employment reform plans.
The report comes after Steve Wright, head of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), raised the alarm in January over potential threats to workers’ rights under the government’s economic policies.
Wright expressed support for Labour’s employment rights legislation but urged the party to take decisive action to protect workers, particularly with regard to zero-hour contracts and unfair dismissal protections.
He insisted that additional protection against unfair dismissal must come into force by this summer at the very latest.
“The full delivery of the Labour manifesto commitment on workers’ rights must be reflected in substantial pay rises for firefighters and all other workers.”
Wright also warned that any attempt to scale back workers’ rights or suppress pay rises would face strong opposition.
Following Rest Less’s report on the over 50s and zero-hour contracts, a spokesperson from the business and trade department said:
“Our Employment Rights Bill will ensure workers can have flexibility that suits them as well as their employer by giving people the right to a guaranteed hours contract. Those who want to remain on their current arrangement can do so.”
“These measures are not about restricting choice, they are seeking to end exploitative zero-hour contracts. We are committed to ending one-sided flexibility to ensure workers who want to have more predictability are able to.”
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