Proposals on how UK employers should implement new protections for zero- and low-hours workers coming into force in 2027 leave “some room” for flexibility, an expert has said.

Jon Fisher of Pinsent Masons was commenting after the UK government launched its long‑awaited consultation on how it will implement new rights for those on zero- and low-hour contracts under the Employment Rights Act (ERA) that are due to take effect next year.

The consultation, which closes on 25 August, seeks views on the detailed regulations needed to give effect to three new statutory rights: the right to be offered guaranteed minimum hours; the right to reasonable notice of shifts; and the right to payment when shifts are cancelled, moved or curtailed at short notice. These rights will also extend to agency workers.

Although the government has not announced exactly when the zero and low-hour protections are due to come into force in 2027, Fisher said the consultation provides a significant expansion on what the “new landscape” for flexible workforces might look like.

While the reforms are intended to address “one‑sided flexibility” in the labour market, the consultation indicates that the government is still considering how businesses may retain flexibility within the new framework – a move which Fisher said potentially leaves employers with “some room for continued flexibility in workforce models”.

The centrepiece of the proposals is a requirement for employers to offer guaranteed hours to...

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