Expect to hear more about zero hours contracts.

The government says almost a quarter of companies with more than 100 employees are using them, a rate that has doubled in the past nine years.

The contracts, which tie staff to employers but offer no guarantees of work, are increasingly prevalent in the health sector, retail, charities and some public sector organisations.

Labour says they are being used to circumvent agency worker regulations.

The findings coincide with news from the Low Pay Commission that more than 100,000 people recieve less than the minimum wage.

Employers who deduct tips from pay packets or charge staff for benefits in kind are blamed for trapping staff in poverty, and the TUC says the real number affected is far higher.

Business secretary Vince Cable is promising “tough new measures” to curb the practices.

Related Articles

• National minimum wage to increase by 12p an hour from October (independent.co.uk)
• Big rise in firms hiring staff on zero-hour contracts (guardian.co.uk)
• Ask James Caan: Zero-hour contracts can be a cost saver for start-ups (standard.co.uk)