I worked for myself and one private company for 30+ years after leaving education, I never had one day off sick, injured yes, but "sick" no. Sickness was never an issue in the private company or my own.
I've worked on a zero hour contract in the public service for 16 months. I only want to work 3 days a week but am currently working 5 days and it's driving me crackers, next week I have 56 hours (including some prime 1.5x rate shifts). My work (and others) is provided entirely by the contracted employees wild sickness levels. Are many sick? Are they hell! Holidays refused = on the sick. Manager said something they don't like = on the sick. It's a game between the workers, the managers and the union. Do the zero contract hour workers suffer from this "sickness", of course not, they don't get sick pay!
My wife experienced just the same when moving from the private sector to a public service educational establishment about 10 years ago. Everything she told me, I now see.
I've worked on a zero hour contract in the public service for 16 months. I only want to work 3 days a week but am currently working 5 days and it's driving me crackers, next week I have 56 hours (including some prime 1.5x rate shifts). My work (and others) is provided entirely by the contracted employees wild sickness levels. Are many sick? Are they hell! Holidays refused = on the sick. Manager said something they don't like = on the sick. It's a game between the workers, the managers and the union. Do the zero contract hour workers suffer from this "sickness", of course not, they don't get sick pay!
My wife experienced just the same when moving from the private sector to a public service educational establishment about 10 years ago. Everything she told me, I now see.