Dr. Alicja Bobek:

The situation is paradoxical because there are many who want full-time jobs, they are offered an "if and when" contract meaning one hour or eight hours per week. They really want the 40 hours but the shifts are variable and that is used as a form of control. If a person is told on Sunday that they must work on Monday and they say no because they have a doctor's appointment they might find the next week that they get only ten hours or five hours when they want more. It is definitely used as a form of punishment and reward. People have to comply with whatever the employers tell them because they may end up having the full hours but it will continue to be an "if and when" contract.