Laws set to tackle abuse of low-paid workers

The Government is to crack down on employers’ exploitation of low-paid workers through zero-hour, low-hour and banded hours contracts.

Legislation drawn up by the Department of Jobs will all but eradicate zero-hours contracts, require employers to give thousands of workers more certainty over their hours, and make sure pay packets more accurately reflect the actual hours they work.

The new laws are in response to a report by the University of Limerick which studied four sectors for zero-hours contracts — retail, hospitality, education, and health.