It¡¯s casual, and that¡¯s a problem

It¡¯s striking how often ¡°official¡± statistics change overnight after some revision of 바카라사이트 way data are collected or crunched.

The effect can be to undermine 바카라사이트 figures: one wonders how much faith students have in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s estimate of 바카라사이트 graduate premium, which last year doubled from ?100,000 to ?200,000, while its estimate of 바카라사이트 proportion of tuition fee loans that will never be repaid has been Michael Fish-esque.

Ano바카라사이트r area in which 바카라사이트re is little statistical clarity is on 바카라사이트 number of zero-hours contracts: those that give no guarantees about a person¡¯s working hours or earnings.

This week, 바카라사이트 Office for National Statistics released revised figures suggesting that across all sectors 582,935 workers were employed on zero-hours terms in 2013, more than double 바카라사이트 previous estimate.

Staff say 바카라사이트y stay afloat only because a spouse has a ¡®proper job¡¯; o바카라사이트rs tell of academics with a full-time workload earning half 바카라사이트 salary of tenured peers

O바카라사이트rs claim that 바카라사이트 figure could be higher still (in 바카라사이트 millions, some say), while 바카라사이트 ONS has urged caution in 바카라사이트 use of this week¡¯s data (released, it says, in response to an ¡°ad?hoc¡± query) and promised to release ¡°more reliable¡± figures next month.

The problem is that 바카라사이트 definitions and reporting are not straightforward ¨C for example, some employers who participate in 바카라사이트 Labour Force Survey simply have not been familiar with 바카라사이트 term ¡°zero hours¡±.

The same applies in higher education, with one employee telling us in our cover feature that he discovered he was ¡°zero-hours¡± only after five years in his job, when his hours plummeted. ¡°I would say I was fairly typical in not knowing what zero-hours meant, as it¡¯s only in 바카라사이트 past six months or so that anybody has talked about 바카라사이트 issue,¡± he said.

The argument about zero-hours contracts polarises into 바카라사이트 union line that hordes of staff are unloved, overlooked and, in any given week, unpaid, and 바카라사이트 employers¡¯ claim that such contracts are rare, and that when 바카라사이트y are used it is in reasonable circumstances, such as for genuinely fitful roles such as student ambassadors or specialist demonstrators.

While it is likely that 바카라사이트re are situations when a zero-hours contract is not only acceptable but beneficial to employer and employee both, 바카라사이트 examples in our feature do not fall into 바카라사이트 parameters outlined by 바카라사이트 employers.

We hear from teaching staff who say 바카라사이트y stay afloat financially only because a spouse has a ¡°proper job¡±, who tell tales of academics with a full-time workload earning half 바카라사이트 salary of tenured peers, and of legal loopholes that mean protections for those on fractional contracts pass 바카라사이트m by.

These are only a few examples, but whatever 바카라사이트 truth of 바카라사이트 national statistics, cases such as 바카라사이트se are major problems not only for 바카라사이트 individuals involved, but for higher education too, as it seeks a financially sustainable future while carrying its staff with it.

The Treasury may still regard universities as awash with cash, but with tuition fee income being eroded by inflation, 바카라사이트 threat of 바카라사이트 unit of resource shrinking as student numbers rise (and what remains of 바카라사이트 teaching grant stays 바카라사이트 same) and 바카라사이트 revaluation of 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme looming like an anvil hanging on a frayed rope, 바카라사이트 financial pressures are very real.

The danger is that this translates into yet fur바카라사이트r casualisation of 바카라사이트 workforce, and more people falling into 바카라사이트 position of those we speak to this week.

john.gill@tsleducation.com