Zero-hours contract

No guaranteed hours does not mean no rights

A zero-hours contract gives no guaranteed minimum amount of work. Work is offered when available and, in the usual arrangement, the individual can decide whether to accept it. The label does not settle whether the person is a worker or employee; their rights depend on employment status and how the relationship operates in practice.

Eligible people still have rights including minimum wage, paid holiday, rest and protection from discrimination. Give the required written particulars and explain pay, holiday, how shifts are offered or cancelled and how the arrangement can end.

In Great Britain, an employer cannot stop a zero-hours worker from taking work elsewhere. GOV.UK's current zero-hours guidance says an exclusivity clause preventing other work can be ignored.

Use the contract for genuinely variable demand

Zero-hours arrangements can fit occasional, seasonal or unpredictable work. They are a poor substitute for a permanent part-time or fixed-hours contract when the business repeatedly needs the same person for a stable pattern.

Set a fair method for offering work, reasonable notice where possible and a clear cancellation practice. Do not penalise someone for declining a shift when the arrangement says they are free to do so. Review status and contract type when regular hours or mutual commitments develop.

Prepare without guessing the future rules

Great Britain's official Employment Rights Act implementation timeline places guaranteed-hours rights, reasonable shift notice and short-notice payments in 2027. The timetable may change, and detailed regulations are still needed before employers can apply the new process. Northern Ireland is developing a separate reform package.

The current Great Britain exclusivity protection is not Northern Ireland law. Both the planned 2027 Great Britain rights and the separate Northern Ireland proposals are future reforms, so do not operate them as if they are already in force.

Meanwhile, better records are useful in either jurisdiction: accepted and declined offers, actual hours, cancellations, pay and the pattern over time. They show whether the contract still describes the real relationship and support a later transition when new rules commence.