The Sunday Times of the 6th August 2013 noted the rise of the zero hours contracts and suggested that up to 500,000 people are employed in the UK with no guaranteed hours. The latest survey by CIPD, the UK body for HR practitioners, has now confirmed that up to 1 million workers in the UK are on zero hour contracts. The practice was thrust into the spotlight last week when Sports Direct, the UK tracksuit and trainer retailer, was exposed for employing the bulk of its 23,000 staff on these contracts.