New Right To Request More Predictable Working Pattern Enacted, Expected To Be Brought Into Force Autumn 2024

The Worker (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill has this week received Royal Assent. The Act will give workers and agency workers the right twice a year to request a predictable work pattern if their work is currently unpredictable, ie their contract is for 12 months or less, or is for an unpredictable number of hours or days of the week or times.

Regulations will set out the qualifying period to be eligible to make a request, which the government expects to be 26 weeks' service. The press release notes that, given that the Act concerns workers with unpredictable working patterns, they will not have to have worked for their employer continuously during that period.

The government expects the new rights to come into force approximately one year after Royal Assent, to give employers time to prepare for the changes. This Autumn, Acas will draft and consult on a new statutory Code of Practice to provide guidance on how requests should be made and considered.