ERA 2025: Zero-Hours Contracts — New Rules for Employers

The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a right for zero-hours and low-hours workers to request a guaranteed-hours contract after a qualifying period of regular work. This right is being brought in during 2027 (the exact commencement date has not yet been set), so it is not in force today. Once it applies, a worker who has consistently worked a predictable pattern over a reference period will be able to request that their contract reflects the hours they actually work.

This is not an outright ban on zero-hours contracts. You can still engage workers on them. But if your usage of zero-hours arrangements is effectively masking a regular employment relationship, the new right will give those workers a route to challenge it.

For businesses that genuinely use zero-hours contracts — hospitality cover, seasonal work, true on-call arrangements — the change requires attention to patterns. If someone works 30 hours every week for an extended period, they will be able to request a contract that reflects those hours. Mellow's time and attendance module makes these patterns visible. You can see, before a request comes in, which workers are developing a regular pattern and plan accordingly.