A zero hours contract is generally understood to be a contact between employer and a worker where:
- The employer is not obliged to provide any minimum working hours and,
- The employee is not obliged to accept any work offered
As of 2015 regulations removed The Exclusivity Terms, which used to prevent workers on zero hours contracts from working for another employer, and it now unlawful for an employer to make an employee suffer a detriment because they work for another employer.
There is no qualifying period to bring an unfair dismissal claim for this reason, and any claim made to a tribunal will depend on the tribunal finding an exclusivity clause in the employment contract.
Most zero hours contracts will give staff ‘worker’ employment status.
Zero hours workers have the same employment rights as regular workers, although they may have breaks in their contracts, which affect rights that accrue over time.
Zero hours workers are entitled to annual leave, The National Minimum Wage and The National Living Wage.
