Zero hours contracts case study: when it all goes wrong — The London Olympics

According to public services union UNISON, the use of ZHCs contributed directly to the G4S security fiasco over the 2012 London Olympics, when the firm was not able to meet its contracted staffing requirements, and members of the armed forces had to step in.

The agreement used by G4S to recruit many staff emphasised that there was no mutuality of obligation and that staff had “no employment rights whatsoever”. The downside of this arrangement was an inability to attract sufficient staff, or to guarantee how many would actually turn up on the day. G4S ended up with a £50 million contract loss and unquantifiable reputational damage.