Three times more women are on zero-hours contracts than men at Kent County Council, figures obtained by the KM Group reveal.

One in 10 staff at the authority are on the contracts, which do not guarantee a set number of working hours.

That figure has increased by 63% over the last two years.

According to the council data, 1,446 employees are on zero hours contracts - compared to 885 in 2016 an increase of 561.

Of these, 1,118 are women compared to 328 men. The overall workforce at KCC is 10,513.

The figures are likely to be higher as they exclude those working in schools and for social care companies.

Unions are concerned by the increase and the high number of women compared to men.

Employees on zero hours contracts do not always have the same rights as permanent staff, although KCC offers the same rights as permanent staff.

The council has been urged to ensure companies it uses - such as those providing care to the elderly and vulnerable - take on staff on permanent contracts.

Unison services and conditions officer Maureen Cleator said: “They should not be used as an alternative to substantive or even temporary contracts.

"The disproportionate level of female staff employed on zero hours contracts by KCC may be an indication that despite the council’s family friendly policies and flexible working policies they are either not being implemented fairly or not fit for purpose.”

She added: “As KCC is fond of stating that it wishes to be a commissioning authority then it has a duty to ensure that not only contracts are value for money but they will only delivered by secure, well trained and properly remunerated staff. Only then will these well trained, motivated staff have security in their job.”

According to the figures, staff in the council’s children services directorate account for the largest number - 653 - of which 507 are women.

Nationally, the number of zero-hours contracts in UK rose by 100,000 in 2017 to 1.8m.

All three main political parties are committed to either scrapping or reforming zero-hours contracts

Clr Eric Hotson, KCC’s cabinet member for corporate and democratic services, said contracts were often a second employment, giving employees the flexibility to choose the hours they wanted to be available.

He said: “All our terms and conditions are applied equally to all staff, irrespective of their contracted hours.

"So those permanent staff with zero hours receive the same terms and benefits as all others, albeit for financial consideration on a pro rata basis. Appropriate training and access to employee benefits is also available.

“There will always be legitimate reasons for there to be zero hours contracts, for example, when there are specific business service delivery needs and where it is difficult to predict service demand and individuals are required at short notice. This is particularly the case in social care.

“We recognise the concerns regarding zero hours contracts and review their use within KCC and have and will convert them to alternative contracts as appropriate and where mutually agreed."

The number of zero hours contracts and the number of employees was not the same, as many workers had more than one contract, he added.

The figured did not include certain elements of the workforce, such as all of the sessional lecturers in Adult Education, of whom there were several hundred.

“On a like-for-like basis, the total number of 'casual, relief and sessional staff' contracts has fallen from approximately 2,300 to 1,400 in the past three years.”

“We recognise the concerns regarding zero hours contracts and review their use within KCC and have and will convert them to alternative contracts as appropriate and where mutually agreed.”