Zero Hours Contracts And Full-Time Permanent Contracts: Not Always So Different

In the recent case of Roddis v Sheffield Hallam University, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) found that an employee on a zero hours contract could compare himself to a colleague on a full-time contract for the purposes of bringing a claim for less favourable treatment under the Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 (the PTW Regulations).

Mr Roddis was employed by Sheffield Hallam University (the University) as a part-time associate lecturer. He brought various claims against the University which included a claim for less favourable treatment under the PTW Regulations.  For the purposes of this part of his claim, he sought to compare himself with a colleague, who was also a lecturer, but on a full-time permanent contract.