Employment Rights Bill: Employees to benefit from guaranteed hours & rights relating to shifts

The Employment Rights Bill is shaking things up, with employees expected to benefit from guaranteed hours and rights relating to shifts.

The government is committed to ending one-sided flexibility and exploitative zero-hours contracts, ensuring that all jobs provide a baseline of security and predictability so workers can better plan their lives and finances.

Right to guaranteed hours

The measures set out in the Employment Rights Bill are likely to take effect in 2026 and will require employers to offer eligible workers guaranteed hours reflecting the hours they regularly work over a reference period which is anticipated to be 12 weeks.

Workers can reject an offer of guaranteed hours and remain on a zero-hours contract if they wish.

Right to reasonable notice of shifts

The bill also requires employers to provide workers with reasonable notice of shifts.

What is ‘presumed reasonable’ will be set out by the government.

Right to payment for shifts cancelled, curtailed, or moved at short notice

Additionally, the bill will require employers to make payments to workers if they cancel, move or curtail a shift at short notice.

Again, what amounts to short notice will be set out by the government.

Agency workers

In view of the more the complex relationship between an agency worker, agency and hirer, the legislation will maintain flexibility to cater for different circumstances by placing the obligation to offer guaranteed hours on the hirer, whilst allowing flexibility to place the obligation on agencies or other intermediaries instead, in specific situations.

Both the agency and the hirer will be responsible for providing an agency worker with reasonable notice of shifts.

Agencies will be required to make short notice payments to agency workers and will generally be able to recoup these costs in situations where the hirer is responsible.

What should you do?

In anticipation of the changes, employers should:

• audit the current workforce to understand to what extent you currently use zero-hours contracts
• track seasonal fluctuations in demand – this could help determine if fixed term contracts would be more appropriate and cost effective.

We will be covering each new change following the Employment Rights Bill, looking into the details of what could impact you and your business. Keep an eye out on our website and across our social media as we publish our full set of informative articles that will help you understand the changes employers are about to face.

If you have any questions or need assistance preparing for the new Employment Rights Bill, be sure to get in touch – our expert team will be willing to help.

Our Legal 500-rated employment law & business immigration team are experts in guiding businesses of all sizes and backgrounds through a range of issues that may arise.