EXCLUSIVE: McDonald's UK CEO on making zero-hour contracts a success

The so-called gig economy has caused noise in the business world, prompting the Government to intervene in egregious zero-hour contracts that have made headlines of late, with the submission of The Taylor Review.

For example, firms such as Uber and Deliveroo operate on a self-employed zero-hour contracts model, meaning workers are exempt from rights such as holiday or sick pay. This also results in tax losses for the Government.

However, for some employees, this flexibility enables them to have the freedom to choose their hours. And for some employers, it can suit them too. Such was the case for McDonald’s UK, who trialled flexible zero-hour contracts and found success for both parties - with 80% of employees on the trial choosing flexibility over fixed hours.

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Speaking to HR Grapevine, Paul Pomroy, CEO of McDonald’s UK, explains: “We heard from some of our people that they’d value fixed hour contracts to help gain access to financial products like car loans or mobile phone contracts. In response, we began a series of trials where we offered the choice between a flexible and a fixed contract with minimum guaranteed hours. Choice is really important for our people –it’s important to give them the flexibility to decide for themselves, depending on their family arrangements, their lifestyle, or their studies, for example, if a fixed hour contract is right for them.