Employment Rights Bill Unpacked: Zero Hours Reforms Extended To Agency Workers

The Employment Rights Bill has been amended to extend the proposals on guaranteed hours and the right to reasonable notice of shifts to agency workers.

Aimed at addressing "one sided flexibility" for workers, the Employment Rights Bill introduced a raft of detailed and complicated provisions on guaranteed hours and the right to reasonable notice of shifts and shift changes. We discuss the proposals for guaranteed hours here and the proposals for notice of shift changes here.

Under the original Bill, these rights would apply to workers with zero hours or "low hours" contracts. Now, following consultation, amendments to the Bill tabled on 4 March 2025, extend this protection to agency workers working under these types of contracts. Our response to the government's consultation can be viewed here. The Bill amendments seek to close any possible loophole which would encourage businesses to move to an agency model to evade the new guaranteed hours regime.