As readers of our monthly blogs will be aware, zero-hours contracts are agreements where employers are not obligated to provide a set number of working hours, and workers are not required to accept any work offered.
This option offers flexibility but can lead to instability and unpredictability for workers, particularly those with families. The UK’s one million agency workers often find themselves on these contracts.
Three Counties Payroll warmly welcome a planned legislative change seeking to close potential loopholes where employers might have previously circumvented zero-hours contract restrictions by hiring through agencies. By mandating guaranteed hours for agency workers, the government aims to stop exploitation and encourage fairer working conditions.
A consultation titled “Making Work Pay: the application of zero hours contracts measures to agency workers,” which was launched in October last year, sought input on how they could be implemented. The two primary measures addressed were:
- Reasonable notice of shifts: Providing agency workers with adequate notice of shifts and compensating them for any cancelled or altered at short notice.
- Guaranteed hours: Ensuring that contracts reflect the number of hours regularly worked by the agency worker.
Stakeholders were invited to share their views to inform the government’s legislative approach.
The government proposes that both the hirer and the agency should be responsible for providing reasonable notice. In cases where shifts are cancelled or curtailed at short notice, the agency would be responsible for compensating the worker, with the possibility of recouping these costs from the hirer if they were responsible for the cancellation.
In March this year, significant amendments to the Employment Rights Bill were introduced, aiming to enhance workers’ rights.
A key feature is the ban on zero-hours contracts, which now includes agency workers. Employers are required to offer agency workers contracts that guarantee a minimum number of working hours each week, ensuring greater job security and predictability for agency workers the length and breadth of the country.
The application of zero-hours contract measures to agency workers represents a major move towards ensuring fairer working conditions and safeguarding the rights of a significant segment of the workforce. Three Counties Payroll eagerly awaits their implementation.