Hello, my name's Mrs. Tomassi, and I'm gonna be working with you on your citizenship lesson today.

So if you've got everything you need and you're all good to go, we will make a start.

So today's lesson title is, "What drives a Nighttime Economy?" and that forms part of the unit on how can the local economy support sustainability.

So hopefully by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain what the nighttime economy involves and the pros and cons of zero-hour contracts.

We have three keywords today.

And remember, you'll see them in bold throughout.

So if you ever need to refer back to them, you can refer back to them here.

So the first one is nighttime economy.

These are businesses and jobs that operate after 6 p.

m.

, such as bars, nightclubs, restaurants, taxis, and late-night deliveries.

You've got gig economy, which is a job market made up of short term, flexible, or freelance work, often arranged through apps.

And zero-hour contracts, work contracts with no guaranteed hours, employees only work when needed, and are paid for the hours that they work.

As I said, if you ever need to, you can refer back to them here.

So we'll make a start of the first of two learning cycles for today, which is, what is the nighttime economy? So start to have a think, if we think about nighttime and we know what economy is, what do we think the nighttime economy is gonna be about? So this is about the businesses and jobs that operate after 6 p.

m.

, mainly in towns and city centres.

And what could it include? What do you think? So what's that stuff that we'll see after 6:00? So these are your restaurants, your bars, theatres, cinemas, nightclubs, music, concerts, late-night shops, taxis, and delivery services.

There are loads.

So to give you an example, places like Manchester and London, the nighttime economy provides thousands of jobs and it supports both local and national businesses.

It's especially important for young people and students who often work in these hospitality or delivery jobs in the evening, and this will be so that they can earn money around their studies and what they're doing.

So in the UK, the nighttime economy is a significant part of local life and brings in billions of pounds each year.

Now, to measure the nighttime economy, you have something called the Nighttime Economy Market Monitor.

And what that does is it can highlight the challenges facing the sector, so things like shifting consumer trends, rising operational costs, and employment dynamics.

So this will be looking for all those changes that are happening.

And then from that, you can see actually what the sector might need to do to change with it.

In 2024, the nighttime economy market monitor stated that nighttime economy remains large.

So any ideas how much you think it might have been worth? So it was valued at 153.

91 billion, and that's with a 2.

5% growth.

So that is a massive number when we're thinking about the money that it is bringing in.

And a key part of this is the gig economy.

So this includes short-term, flexible jobs, often organised through apps or online platforms. Have you heard of any of these jobs before? Can you think of some examples? So an example would be delivery drivers.

They work in the gig economy and they're part of the nighttime economy as well.

Many of these workers will work on a zero-hour contract.

Remember we saw that keyword at the start.

So this means they don't have guaranteed hours and they only work when they're needed.

And this type of contract is used a lot in nightlife industries where demand for workers can change depending on the day of the week or time of the year.

Can you think of times where it probably might be more popular? So we're thinking like the weekends and what kind of holidays more people are more likely to be going out and spending in the nighttime economy.

Check for understanding now.

Match the type of economy with its definition.

One, you've got local economy.

Two, nighttime economy.

And three, gig economy.

And the definitions you can match it with are: A, jobs and services that run after 6 p.

m.

; B, all businesses and jobs operating in an area; and C, flexible, short-term jobs, often based on apps.

How did you get on? So local economy, that's B, that's all the businesses and jobs operating in an area.

Nighttime economy is A, that's the ones after 6 p.

m.

And gig economy is C, the flexible, short-term jobs.

Well done if you managed to get that.

Now, we've got another check for understanding.

So which of these jobs is not part of the nighttime economy? A, taxi driver.

B, nightclub worker.

C, school teacher.

D, food delivery driver.

Did you get it? It is a school teacher.

The rest are all part of the nighttime economy.

So it is important for the local economy, especially in smaller towns and cities.

Can you think why? Somebody goes out in the evening, then they're often more likely to be spending monies in the bars, the cafes, the clubs, and on transport as well.

So that is lots of different services that they will be buying into in that evening.

And it helps the local businesses to stay open and create local jobs.

So for example, places like during the holidays and the weekend.

Look at an example of some cities, places like Brighton and Liverpool see significant increase in visitors at night, which boosts their sales in hospitality and entertainment.

Have a look around anywhere you live.

Are there any areas that you think actually, they've got a really good nighttime economy? So local councils often try to support the nighttime economy with safer streets, good lighting, and public transport at night because if we think actually, then again that's gonna attract more people to want to come as well.

There can be some downsides to the nighttime economy.

Could you think what that might be? So sometimes it can lead to more litter, noise, and crime in the evenings, and that puts pressure on the emergency services and the environment.

If you've got the local council working to support the nighttime economy, it could help ease some of these pressures.

Can we think what they could do and maybe ways that they could support the environment with this? So some areas are working on sustainability.

These things like electric taxis, better recycling outside clubs, or offering vegan food options in takeaway restaurants.

This is a way to demonstrate sustainability by meeting the needs of today without harming the future.

The gig economy and zero-hour contracts make it easier for businesses to adjust to busy or quiet nights, but they often lead to job insecurity for workers.

When we say job insecurity, do you know what that means? If you have security, then maybe you've got some protection around you.

So if it's job insecurity, it means that protection isn't there.

So it means if the work's not there in the quiet nights, then those people might not get paid or might not have work to do.

So workers on these type of contracts are not given any opportunities to pay into a pension or any benefits that working as an employee might have.

So things like holiday pay, sick pay, they wouldn't get.

Check for understanding.

Can you fill in the gaps about the nighttime economy? The nighttime economy supports the economy.

The gig economy includes like delivery drivers that are often term.

Some nighttime economy workers are on contracts which often do not offer job.

See if you can work out what the gaps are.

How did you get on? So the first one supports the local economy.

It includes jobs like delivery drivers that are often short term and workers are on zero-hour contracts, which do not offer job security.

Hopefully you managed to get that and we will have a look now at some of the money that is invested.

The government and local councils in 2024 invested more money into the nighttime economy.

So to give you a bit of an example, so the Mayor of London created the role of Night Czar between 2016 to 2024, which worked on making London safer, to help it thrive as a 24-hour city.

The Night Czar promoted nightlife locally and internationally, working with partners like local councils, the Met Police, Transport for London, and the public to protect the venues and support the nighttime economy.

Now, this also happened in Greater Manchester and Belfast and the creation of this special role shows how important the nighttime economy is for economic growth.

Because if it wasn't, then they wouldn't be investing into it.

So more UK towns are also applying for a Purple Flag status, and this means their nighttime economy areas are safe and well-managed.

These changes aim to improve the job quality in the gig economy and offer better protection for workers on zero-hour contracts.

It allows the nighttime economies to thrive if they're safe, fair, and sustainable for everyone involved.

For example, Cardiff was awarded Purple Flag accreditation for the seventh consecutive year.

And this was in recognition of its commitment to create a dynamic, secure, vibrant evening and inclusive nighttime economy.

Check for understanding.

Write down one benefit and one challenge of the nighttime economy.

What did you manage to get? So we've got a benefit here.

The nighttime economy creates jobs in the local area.

Challenge, it can lead to more crime.

Now, you might have had something similar, you could have had some different ideas there as well.

So you could have gone on the environment and noise as well.

That leads us onto Task A for today.

So imagine you are the Night Czar of your town.

Write a short plan for how you would make your nighttime economy better and more sustainable.

Jacob says, "Think about transport, workers' rights and safety." Now, you could base this off of your own town that you live in and think about what you would do there.

Take some time, and when you're ready, unpause and we can go through the feedback together.

How did you get on with that? So your plan could have included something like, "As Night Czar, I would make sure night buses and trains run later so workers and visitors could get home safely.

I'd encourage local restaurants to recycle more and to offer eco-friendly packaging.

I'd work with businesses to improve conditions for gig economy workers and those working in the nighttime economy by reducing the use of zero-hour contracts.

I'd also put more lighting in town centres and have more police or wardens around to prevent crime.

I'd help set up free training for people working night shifts so they're prepared for any potential dangers they may face." Did you manage to have some similar ideas in there, thinking about, you know, safety and the environment and protection for workers' rights? You could have alternatively created something like this.

"So as Night Czar, I would support workers in the gig economy by creating a local app that offers fairer pay and more regular hours, avoiding too many zero-hour contracts.

I would introduce green zones where only electric taxis and delivery vehicles can operate at night, helping with long-term sustainability.

I'd ensure all night markets and food festivals have police and first aid stations nearby to keep people safe.

I'd also give grants to local businesses to stay open later and which offered healthier and sustainable food choices.

This would boost the local economy and make the town a vibrant, safe place after dark." So again, there's another idea there, which you might have had some similarities with.

And this moves us onto our second learning cycle for today.

So what are the pros and cons of zero-hour contracts? Do you remember what a zero-hour contract is? So it means that a person has no guaranteed hours of work.

They're only paid for the hours that they do work, and they could be called in at short notice.

They're common in the gig economy, especially in jobs like delivery driving, warehouse work, and hospitality.

Now, some people like these because they offer flexibility.

So for example, if you think of a university student, they might have one week where they've got more to study for, but then they might have another week where they have a little bit more time.

So it allows for different shifts each week to fit around how your working week is going.

So now that's a benefit for individuals, but a benefit for the businesses is it means that they can respond quickly to changes in demand.

Can you think why might changes in demand happen? When might that happen? So example, think of the busy periods, places like Christmas, summer festivals.

Companies can call in more workers without needing to hire permanent staff because if they hired that same amount of permanent staff, maybe in the quieter periods, they would have no work for them to do.

So it would cost the business a lot of money.

So this way it means that they can get in more people at short notice, which therefore reduces the cost for the business.

Now, the government says that these contracts can be helpful for workers who need flexible work or want to build up experience in a new field without committing to a permanent role.

So Nadia says here, "I work as a delivery driver and I love the flexibility.

I don't have to commit to one employer or particular hours, which means I can look after my young children." And Hugo says, "I only employ people in zero-hour contracts.

It means I can just employ people when I need them rather than all year round." And Kirsten says, "I like zero-hour contracts as I can work in different jobs before I decide what to do for a more permanent career." So there's three examples of some benefits to zero-hour contracts.

Check for understanding now.

Did you manage to get that? So all of these statements have one mistake.

Rewrite them to make the statement correct.

One, zero-hour contracts always guarantee hours.

Two, the gig economy never uses apps or online platforms. Three, workers on zero-hour contracts get paid even if they do not work.

See if you can find the mistake.

So how did you get on? So the zero-hour contracts do not guarantee any hours.

The gig economy often uses apps or platforms, and zero-hour contract workers only get paid when they work.

Great job if you managed to get that.

Now, we're gonna have a look at some downsides to zero-hour contracts.

So the main problem, yes, it's really flexible, but what that means is it can lead to a lack of security.

So if somebody wants a permanent role and maybe they've got their bills to pay each month, this isn't gonna offer them that security because there might be one week where they don't have any work.

And then what that can lead to is it means that they might have to use an overdraft or they could get into debt if they struggle to pay and manage the bills.

Also, they might be called into work last minute.

So that can make it hard to plan, especially if you've got children or childcare or other responsibilities, things outside of work, then it can be difficult to organise that as well.

To give you an example, in February 2024, some food delivery drivers in the UK protested over pay and conditions.

Some of the drivers of some of the biggest food delivery companies planned the biggest courier strike in UK history on Valentine's Day 2024.

In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that certain food delivery drivers were entitled to worker status on zero-hour contracts and must therefore receive basic workers' rights like holiday pay.

This rule forced companies to give workers their rights.

And after the strike in 2024, the company policies were improved further.

So another issue is that workers don't get the same rights as full-time workers.

They might not receive things like sick pay, holiday pay, or fair notice when shifts are cancelled and it just means then they would lose out.

Now, the government has rules and laws to protect these workers.

Many people in the gig economy feel these rules aren't always followed.

So Alistair says, "I struggle with my zero-hour contract job because I don't know how much money I will get, so I have to save as much as I can, otherwise I will get in debt." Juan says, "I have to get a job with a zero-hour contract because it's hard to get a more permanent job after retirement age, but I find the pay very little." And then Lucia says, "I wouldn't hire anyone on a zero-hour contract.

I much prefer consistent workers in my business.

I think it's a poor system that takes advantage of people." So this is the other side to zero-hour contracts for people that it doesn't support or work for.

So some local councils are encouraging companies to offer more stable contracts or fairer work schemes to support the low-income workers.

For example, in 2025, North Lanarkshire Council in Scotland gave a commitment to fair work practises.

So they aligned with Scotland's vision to become a leading Fair Work nation by 2025.

And the council actively promoted fair and inclusive workplaces.

So again, it's showing you that more is being put in place.

Now, their efforts included things like tackling the gender pay gap, addressing the disability employment gap, and implementing anti-racist employment strategies.

So these initiatives aim to support low workers by encouraging employers to offer more stable contracts and participate in fair work schemes.

Additionally, the Scottish government refreshed fair Work Action Plan outlined actions to promote fair and inclusive workplaces across Scotland.

And it supported some of these councils in their efforts to improve the employers' conditions.

It also reflects a broader commitment in Scotland about enhancing job security and fairness in the workplace, specifically about benefiting the low-income workers.

So can you tick the boxes that show a disadvantage of zero-hour contracts? Is this a disadvantage? No guaranteed income.

Flexible working hours.

Short notice for shifts.

Help businesses save money.

Hard to plan life around.

What are the advantages? It is no guaranteed income, short notice for shifts, and hard to plan life around.

What are the other two? They are examples of the advantages.

So in 2025, more people are calling for reforms to zero-hour contract.

What's a reform? So the reform is this idea of changing and improving the zero-hour contracts, especially in the gig economy.

So trade unions and some of the MPs want the government to make contracts more secure, so things like giving workers a minimum number of hours per week.

What would that support with? So if we go back to thinking about the bills, you would know at least the guaranteed income you're getting each week.

Now, the other hand, some of the business argue that removing this would make it harder for them to stay open during quiet times.

So if we go back to some of them like the summer festivals and they're only open in that period of time, they're gonna lose a lot of money by paying staff that they're not gonna use throughout the year.

So what are three advantages of zero-hour contracts? Did you manage to get some? So things like flexible hours, shifts for employees, helps businesses cope with different demands during busy times of the year, and supports people who want to build up experience in a new field without committing to a permanent role.

And that moves us on to Task B for today.

So we've got a statement here and it says: Zero-hour contracts should be encouraged in our society.

Evaluate this statement and include two arguments to support, two arguments against and a conclusion stating your own opinion.

Take some time.

You might even wanna plan this out first.

So you could create yourself a little page of planning and put your arguments either side, and then when you're ready, you can write it and then unpause, we can feedback together.

Good luck.

So how did you get on? Now again, you could have had different ideas here that would still be right.

So what you're looking at here is the structure and the amount of detail that you'd be looking to go into.

So to give you a bit of an example, here we've got zero-hour contracts should be encouraged in our society because they offer flexibility for certain groups of people.

For example, students, carers, or people with other responsibilities might prefer a contract that allows them to work only when they're available, especially during the nighttime economy.

It also helps employers respond to busy periods by bringing in extra staff without needing to commit to permanent contracts.

This is especially useful in the gig economy where food delivery companies rely on having workers available at different times of day and night.

However, there are also strong arguments against encouraging zero-hour contracts.

One major concern is that workers have no guaranteed income, which can make it very hard to plan their lives or feel financially secure.

Many workers feel stressed because they don't know when they'll be working or how much they'll earn.

Some employers may also misuse these contracts by cancelling shifts at last minute or not offering basic rights like sick pay or holiday leave.

This leads to unfair treatment, especially for people who rely on this work full time.

In conclusion, I believe zero-hour contracts should only be used in specific cases where flexibility is truly needed, not as a normal way of employing people.

While they may suit some individuals and support the gig economy, they should not replace fair, secure jobs for people who want stable work.

The government should make sure that anyone on a zero-hour contract is treated fairly and has access to basic protection to support the people who work in the local economy, gig economy, and nighttime economy.

So how did you find that? Again, it is mainly looking at the structure there as you could have given different points as advantages and disadvantages, but hopefully, you managed to complete it and you've managed to get a better understanding of zero-hour contracts.

Now, that leads us onto the summary of today's lesson.

So to summarise, the nighttime economy includes jobs and businesses that operate after 6 p.

m.

, such as restaurants, taxis, and delivery services.

It plays a significant role in supporting the local economy by creating jobs and encouraging spending in towns and cities.

Many workers in this sector are part of the gig economy, taking on flexible roles through apps and short-term work.

These workers are often on zero-hour contracts, which offer flexibility, but can lead to income insecurity.

To make the nighttime economy more successful, councils and businesses are focusing on sustainability, for example, promoting the use of eco-friendly transport and reducing waste.

So that brings us to the end of, "What drives a successful nighttime economy?" Thank you so much for working with me today and enjoy the rest of your day.