有這樣一種雇傭方式，老板有任務給你時，你才開工，需隨叫隨到，工作多少就拿多少報酬，沒有工作任務的時候就沒有工資，自然也沒有所謂的病假和年假。這種雇傭方式就叫zero hours contract（零時工合同）。

The concept of a zero hours contract (also sometimes zero hour contract) is effectively a situation which allows employers to hire staff but give them no guarantee of work. Such contracts mean that employees only work as and when required, so that they are effectively 'on call' to work at short notice, and only receive pay for the hours they work. Some zero hours contracts make it compulsory for workers to accept the working hours they're offered, and others allow the employee to decide, but most contracts of this type don't offer sick or holiday pay, and deny rights such as redundancy payments and pensions.

Zero hours contract（有時也寫作zero hour contract）指雇主雇傭員工卻不保證給其安排工作的合同情形，我們稱之為“零時工合同”。簽訂這種合同就意味著，員工只在有工作要求時干活，需隨叫隨到，做多少工作拿多少報酬。有些“零時工合同”要求員工必須接受雇主提出的工作時間要求，有些會讓員工考慮后做決定；不過，大部分“零時工合同”都不包括帶薪病假或休假，也沒有裁員津貼或養老金。

Predictably, the use of such contracts is controversial, not least because they give no guarantee of work, yet often deny the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere – some zero hours contracts oblige workers to seek permission before they can take on other jobs. The contracts have been criticized for not offering a basic level of financial security, many workers not being given enough hours and not having the same employment rights as those on traditional contracts. With no guaranteed income, employees on zero hours contracts sometimes find it difficult to get mortgages and other forms of credit. (Source: macmillandictionary.com)

可以預見的是，使用這一類合同頗具爭議性，主要的原因是這類合同無法保證隨時有工作，而且還阻止員工尋求其他的就業機會——有些“零時工合同”要求員工在接洽其他工作任務前需獲得現任雇主的許可。因無法提供基本的財務保障、很多員工沒有獲得足夠的工時，以及不能享受與傳統雇員同等職業權利等問題，“零時工合同”一直飽受詬病。靠“零時工合同”工作的員工也因為沒有收入保障而很難獲得按揭貸款及其它形式的信用服務。

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（中國日報網英語點津 Helen）

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