Hourly staff

In the United Kingdom, hourly staff refers to employees who are paid on an hourly basis for their work, rather than being salaried or paid on a fixed-term contract.

Hourly staff typically include:

• Casual workers: These are individuals who are employed on an ad-hoc basis, often to cover short-term absences or unexpected increases in workload. They may be paid at the minimum wage rate and do not have guaranteed hours.
• Agency workers: These are employees supplied by a recruitment agency to work for a client organisation on a temporary or contract basis. They may be paid on an hourly basis and are usually employed directly by the agency.
• Zero-hours contract staff: These are individuals who are employed under a zero-hours contract, which means that they have no guaranteed hours of work but are available to work as required by their employer. They may be paid on an hourly basis for any hours worked.

Hourly staff often do not have the same employment rights and benefits as permanent employees, such as paid annual leave or pension entitlements. However, they may still be entitled to certain statutory rights, such as the National Minimum Wage and paid holiday time.

In terms of rotas, hourly staff are typically rostered on a shift-by-shift basis, with their hours of work being confirmed in advance. This can make it easier for employers to manage their workforce and respond to changing demand, but may also create uncertainty for employees about their working hours from one week to another.

It’s worth noting that the use of zero-hours contracts has been subject to controversy in recent years, with some arguing that they can lead to exploitation of workers. As a result, there have been efforts to introduce new regulations and protections for hourly staff, including the introduction of a right to a guaranteed minimum number of hours of work after 12 months of service.

AceRota’s automated rotas and absence management features enable hourly-paid staff to be scheduled accurately, reducing the likelihood of under- or over-payment, which is particularly important for employees who are paid on an hourly basis.