The government has launched a consultation on new zero-hours reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025. The proposals include a right to guaranteed hours, a right to reasonable notice of shifts, and compensation for shifts cancelled, moved or curtailed at short notice.
The reforms will apply in England, Wales and Scotland, with enforcement through employment tribunals and, potentially, the Fair Work Agency (FWA).
The consultation opened on 2 June 2026 and closes on 25 August 2026. It seeks views on the detailed regulations needed to implement the new rights and provides insight into the government's preferred approach in several areas.
Employers would be required to make guaranteed hours offers to qualifying workers representing the number of hours worked during a defined reference period. Workers would have the option to decline these offers if they prefer their current arrangements. The government favours setting the initial reference period at twelve weeks for directly engaged workers. The length of subsequent reference periods is unresolved, with options ranging from 12 to 52 weeks. The government also requests views on whether a subsequent reference period should begin as soon as the previous one ends, or whether there should be a gap between them.
One major area of uncertainty is the threshold for guaranteed hours. The preferred range is 8-20 hours per week, but options extend up to 48 hours. Similarly, the method for...
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