Unemployment benefits for on-call workers: Important information

Questioner

I have been working for an employment agency as an on-call worker with a zero-hour contract since March 2016. My question is: Have I already built up unemployment benefits, for example the basic unemployment benefits of 3 months?

Lawyer

You have worked as an on-call worker for 26 of the last 36 weeks. That is why you are applying for unemployment benefits. I recommend requesting the benefit 2 weeks before the contract expires. The maximum guideline is one week after contract expiration. If you worked from April to November, you apply for unemployment benefits for three months.

Lawyer

If you meet the requirements for unemployment benefits, you are entitled to at least 3 months of unemployment benefits. The most important requirements are that you must have worked for at least 26 weeks for 1 hour per week in the last 36 weeks, that you become unemployed for at least 5 hours (or lose at least half of the number of hours), that you are available for work and that you were not to blame for the termination of your contract. If you meet the requirements, the rules for determining your employment history will be considered. As a result, you may be able to receive benefits for longer than 3 months. In the case of an on-call contract / zero-hours contract, your rights must also be carefully considered; in some cases, more rights arise (such as more hours, higher pay or a more stable employment contract). If you would like more information, I would be happy to help you (you can click on my name on the right side of the page).