A new survey from Acas has found that nearly 3 in 5 workers in London (59%) are unaware of the rights of people on zero-hours contracts.

Acas commissioned YouGov to ask workers at the end of August on how aware, if at all, they were of the rights of a worker employed on a zero-hours contract.
A zero-hours contract is usually where an employer does not have to give any minimum working hours and a worker does not have to take any work offered. The employment status of a zero-hours worker can vary depending on the exact nature of the working arrangement.

Acas Chief Executive Susan Clews said:

“Our poll reveals that most workers in London are unaware of workplace rights under zero hours contracts. They may seem complex but there are key rights that apply to everyone under these arrangements.

“Acas has advice in this area and a new law next year aims to give zero hours contracts workers the right to request more predictability around their working pattern.

“We are currently consulting on a new Code of Practice to help businesses and workers in London understand the new law and provide good practice around requests for a predictable working pattern.”

Acas advice is that someone on a zero-hours contract could be legally classed as an employee or a worker and their employment status will determine their legal rights. The following rights will always apply to anyone on a zero-hours contract:

National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage
paid holiday
rest breaks
protection from discrimination
receiving pay slips.

Employers must grant all relevant statutory employment rights to people who work under these arrangements.

Acas is currently consulting on its new draft statutory Code of Practice on handling requests for a predictable working pattern. It aims to ensure that requests are handled in a reasonable manner so that a worker’s request is fully understood and considered.

The consultation closes on 17 January 2024. To respond please see: https://www.acas.org.uk/predictable-working-pattern-code-consultation