A Zero Hours Employment Contract is designed to create the arrangement between an employer and an employee according to which employees are called when there is work for them to implement. In such cases, employers are not obligated to offer the employees on zero hours employment regular work, but when they offer employees work, the latter have to accept the offers. At certain intervals there are new conditions in the specific areas, so contracts of this type can be updates as necessary in order to provide better protection for the employer who is a party to such a contract. If both parties to the contract have mutual obligations, then employees also have all the pertinent employment protection.

Under contracts for zero hours employment, employers can retain a certain group, or pool, of workers who can fill temporary positions whenever such positions arise. The employees treated in that manner are not of self employment status, as there is a global contract that comprises also the periods when they are not working for the specific company.

There can also be situations in which employers have no obligations to offer work, and employers are not obligated to accept offers regarding work they have to do, and then casual work contracts can be concluded.

The specific details to be included in a zero hours employment contract comprise the following data and descriptions as relevant: the duties and the job title of employees; the date of commencement of such type of employment and the period of continuous employment; the employees’ availability for work for the company; the availability of work from the company; the hours of work if applicable; the place of work; the amount and method of payment, etc. The other particular can include confidentiality requirements, collective agreements, grievance procedures, disciplinary procedures, data protection, changes to the terms and conditions under which employment is implemented, the governing laws and jurisdiction.

There are people who can find it more convenient to work on zero employment contracts. They can be individuals who need just occasional earnings. However, it should be pointed out that they are not guaranteed steady and regular amounts of work at regular intervals, and so they are exposed to the risk of being misused. Employers can ask such employees to stop work when there are quiet periods without work to be done, but they can require such employees to remain in the workplace in the event that the need for carrying out work arises.

Although employees that have concluded a zero hour employment contract with their employers are not guaranteed fixed number of hours per week or per month, such type of contract can be a good method of arranging to receive certain payments if they have to remain at home and look after members of their household, for example. They can remain on call under the contract, and go to work only when the need arises for them to do the type of work they are required to do under that contract.