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Zero Hours and On-call Work in Anglo-Saxon Countries pp 159–178Cite as

Zero Hours and On-call Work in Anglo-Saxon Countries: A Comparative Review

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Abstract

This chapter reviews zero hours work and working time uncertainty in a comparative context, based on the findings of the country studies in this volume. It identifies the various employment arrangements in Anglo-Saxon countries according to their levels of working time uncertainty and job instability and reviews the extant of zero hours work and working time uncertainty in each country. While there are multiple reasons why employers use employment arrangements with zero hours work and working time uncertainty, the chapter focuses on it as a mechanism of managerial control. The chapter then identifies clusters of countries according to the strength of their state regulatory responses. Despite similarities amongst the countries in terms of employment regimes, their comparatively weak levels of labour regulation and the weak labour market position of workers, some countries have responded more strongly than others with labour regulation. Finally, the chapter examines the importance and challenges of labour law and social protection as avenues of protecting people with significant working time uncertainty.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Work & Employment Studies, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Michelle O’Sullivan

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  1. Michelle O’Sullivan
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Correspondence to Michelle O’Sullivan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Work and Employment Studies, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Michelle O’Sullivan

  2. Department of Work and Employment Studies, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Jonathan Lavelle

  3. Department of Work and Employment Studies, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Juliet McMahon

  4. Department of Work and Employment Studies, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Lorraine Ryan

  5. Department of Work and Employment Studies, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Caroline Murphy

  6. Department of Work and Employment Studies, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Thomas Turner

  7. Department of Work and Employment Studies, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Patrick Gunnigle

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O’Sullivan, M. (2019). Zero Hours and On-call Work in Anglo-Saxon Countries: A Comparative Review. In: O’Sullivan, M., et al. Zero Hours and On-call Work in Anglo-Saxon Countries. Work, Organization, and Employment. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6613-0_8

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