I work as a casual worker in a seasonal industry. I'm confident that my contract will be renewed after the cool down time, but my work load won't increase until the new season starts.
As I have bills to pay, I decided to look for a second job to fill the gap, which I secured after one application, but the contract is so dodgy.
For starters, if the company pays me sick pay and I get any form of compensation from whatever caused the sick leave, I have to pay back the sick pay (e.g. I get injured at Job A that causes Job B to have to pay sick leave. Job A gets found to be liable for the injury and has to pay me compensation, Job B gets whatever they paid me in sick pay back. Oh and if it's Job B's fault I got injured, they can reclaim the sick pay from my pension with them)
There's also discrepancies in what I was told in the interview, namely that there's a night rate, but the contract says there isn't.
Finally, this contract says that I can't hold another job at all without written permission from the general manager. It was made very clear and accepted from the moment that I applied that this would be a second job.
That's before I even get to giving them my availability until the end of the season and them completely ignoring it before I've even started!
The contract is completely written to screw over employees. I've said that I'm not willing to sign it until I at least have the written permission and that it cannot be withdrawn at any time until such time as I decide that second job would be my only job.
Always read the contract before you sign, and no matter how desperately you need a job, don't go with one that you'll have to legally agree can screw you over.