Zero Hours Contracts/Guaranteed Hours

Expected 2027

Zero hours contracts is another significant area of reform.  The legislation introduces a new duty on employers to offer guaranteed hours.

The rules around this are exceptionally complex, and the detail still needs to be set out in regulations.  Essentially employers will be obliged to offer qualifying workers, who regularly work more than the minimum number of hours specified in their contracts in any reference period (yet to be defined), guaranteed minimum hours reflecting the hours they actually worked during the reference period.

A qualifying worker will not only be someone working under a zero hours contract but also someone with a low number of guaranteed hours, although what constitutes a low number of hours is yet to be defined.

There will also be a right to reasonable notice of shifts an employee is required to work, including the time, day and how many hours the employee will be required to work. And this duty will apply to workers employed on zero hours or minimum hours contracts, as well as any workers who do not have a set working pattern. There will also be a right to payment for cancellation of shifts on short notice in certain circumstances.