NW council vows to employ casual staff on "more substantive" basis

A local authority in the North West has vowed to ensure that, wherever possible, all staff employed on a casual basis see their roles become “more substantive – with defined and legally enforceable conditions”.

St Helens Council said the move was to “distance itself from the twilight end of the employment market”, amid the ongoing controversy over zero hours contracts.

The local authority said it did not have any employment conditions that included the ‘zero hours’ term. However, it acknowledged that some employees were retained on a ‘casual’, ‘sessional’, ‘supply’ or ‘relief’ basis.

“And while such arrangements can suit some employees – who value the flexibility they offer – more unscrupulous employers can soon take advantage of the situation,” it said.

On the planned move to more substantive arrangements, Cllr Barrie Grunewald said: “When I became Leader I pledged that the council would lead the way as an employer – helping to forge a fairer, more equal St Helens and committing the authority to becoming a living wage employer.

“But we urgently need to address the scandal of those employers who take advantage of zero hours contracts for their own benefit. For many of the people who work for these companies it can mean uncertainty, insecurity and exploitation.”

Cllr Grunewald added: “While zero hours contracts might suit some people, we have to ensure that no one, particularly vulnerable workers on the fringe of the labour market, is taken advantage of.”

Brendan Farrell, the authority’s Head of Human Resources, said: “We’ll always need some sessional and relief staff, but we take pride in the fact that the council always maintains the highest possible standards in preparing these contracts – and does everything it can to minimise their number.”