Guaranteed Hours for Zero-Hours Workers 2026: What's Proposed to Change
The Employment Rights Bill agenda proposes a right for zero-hours and low-hours workers to be offered guaranteed hours reflecting their regular pattern, plus reasonable notice of shifts. Here's what's confirmed and what's still proposed.
What zero-hours contracts are
A zero-hours contract is an arrangement where an employer is not obliged to offer the worker any minimum number of hours, and the worker is not obliged to accept any hours offered. This flexibility suits some workers (students, those with caring responsibilities, or people wanting multiple income sources), but has also attracted criticism for creating income insecurity, especially where workers feel practically obliged to accept shifts despite no formal obligation.
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Open Minimum Wage calculatorCurrent rights zero-hours workers already have
Regardless of any further reform, zero-hours workers already benefit from several statutory protections today:
| Right | Applies now? |
|---|---|
| National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage for hours worked | Yes |
| Statutory holiday entitlement (5.6 weeks pro-rata) | Yes |
| Rest breaks and working time limits | Yes |
| Statutory Sick Pay (if earnings test met) | Yes |
| Protection from discrimination | Yes |
| Right to refuse a shift without penalty (genuine zero-hours arrangement) | Yes |
Holiday Entitlement Calculator
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Open Holiday Entitlement calculatorWhat the Employment Rights Bill agenda proposes
| Proposal | Broad idea |
|---|---|
| Right to guaranteed hours | After a defined reference period (commonly discussed as 12 weeks), workers who have regularly worked a certain pattern of hours would be entitled to be offered a contract reflecting those hours |
| Reasonable notice of shifts | Employers would need to give workers reasonable advance notice of shifts, rather than very short-notice scheduling |
| Compensation for short-notice cancellation | Workers could be entitled to payment if a shift is cancelled, moved, or curtailed at short notice, reflecting the inconvenience and lost expected income |
How the "reference period" idea would work
The reference period is the window over which a worker's actual hours are measured to determine what should be offered as guaranteed hours. A commonly discussed structure:
- The employer tracks a worker's actual hours over the reference period (e.g. 12 weeks).
- If the worker has regularly worked a recognisable pattern of hours, the employer must offer a contract reflecting that pattern.
- The worker can accept or decline the offer — accepting doesn't have to mean giving up all flexibility, depending on how the final rules are structured.
- The process may repeat periodically, so hours offered can be adjusted (up or down) to reflect genuinely changed working patterns over time.
Why reform has been proposed
- Some zero-hours workers experience significant income insecurity despite regularly working substantial hours in practice.
- Very short-notice shift cancellations can leave workers financially exposed, having turned down other income opportunities to remain available.
- The proposals aim to preserve genuine flexibility for those who want it, while giving more security to those who are, in practice, working consistent hours over time.
What employers and workers should do now
- Employers: keep monitoring official guidance for confirmed implementation dates and detailed rules, and consider reviewing scheduling practices proactively.
- Workers: don't assume guaranteed hours or shift-cancellation compensation apply yet unless confirmed — but continue to assert your existing rights (minimum wage, holiday pay, ability to decline shifts) which already apply now.
- Both parties should check gov.uk and ACAS guidance for the latest position, since implementation timelines for major employment reforms have shifted in the past.
Practical tips
- Track your own hours worked over time — useful evidence if and when a guaranteed-hours right is implemented and you want to claim it.
- Don't feel you must accept every shift offered under a genuine zero-hours arrangement — declining shifts is not a breach of contract.
- Query your holiday pay calculation if you're on irregular hours — it should reflect a fair pro-rata method (commonly the 52-week reference period approach), not be ignored because your hours vary.
Use the National Minimum Wage calculator and holiday entitlement calculator to check your current entitlements while any further reforms are finalised.
Frequently asked questions
Do zero-hours workers currently have a right to guaranteed hours?
Not yet as a general statutory right. Proposals under the Employment Rights Bill agenda would require employers to offer zero-hours and low-hours workers a contract reflecting the hours they regularly work, after a defined reference period, but this has not been in force as a universal right as of 2026 — check gov.uk for the current confirmed implementation date.
What is a 'reference period' for guaranteed hours purposes?
The reference period is the window (commonly proposed at 12 weeks) over which a worker's actual hours worked are assessed, to determine what hours should be reflected in an offer of a guaranteed-hours contract, if and when this right is implemented.
Can zero-hours workers currently refuse a shift?
Yes. Under a genuine zero-hours arrangement, there is no obligation on the worker to accept any shift offered, and no obligation on the employer to offer any particular amount of work — refusing a shift is not a breach of contract.
Are zero-hours workers entitled to compensation for shifts cancelled at short notice?
Proposals under the Employment Rights Bill agenda include a right to reasonable notice of shifts and payment for shifts cancelled or curtailed at short notice, but this is not yet a universal confirmed right as of 2026 for all zero-hours workers — check the current legal position before relying on it.
Do zero-hours workers get holiday pay and minimum wage now, regardless of these proposals?
Yes. Zero-hours workers already have current statutory rights to at least the National Minimum Wage for hours actually worked, and statutory holiday entitlement (accrued pro rata, often using the 52-week reference period method), independent of any further Employment Rights Bill reforms.
Can an employer still offer a genuine zero-hours contract after proposed reforms take effect?
Likely yes for workers who genuinely prefer the flexibility, since proposals generally focus on requiring an offer of guaranteed hours after a qualifying period, rather than banning zero-hours contracts outright — but always check the confirmed final rules once implemented.
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