Workers on zero-hours contracts are more likely to be happy with their work-life balance than other employees, a new study suggests.

The report said the use of zero-hours contracts has been "unfairly demonised" amid controversy over their widespread use.

Employees on the contracts do not know if they will have work from one week to the next, but research among 2500 adults found those on zero-hours are just as happy with their job as the average worker, and are more content with their work-life balance.

Just over half of the 456 zero hours workers quizzed by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said they did not want more hours, with 38% saying they would.

Four out of five said they were never penalised if they were unavailable for work.

Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, said: "The use of zero-hours contracts in the UK economy has been underestimated, oversimplified and in some cases, unfairly demonised. Our research shows that the majority of people employed on these contracts are satisfied with their jobs.

"However, we also recognise that there is a need to improve poor practice in the use of zero-hours contracts, for example the lack of notice many zero-hours staff receive when work is cancelled. If this is unavoidable then employers should at least provide some level of compensation."

The CIPD said where zero-hours contracts are used for the right reasons, they provide flexibility for workers and employers. CIPD says about a million people are on zero-hours contracts.