Zero-hours contracts: right to guaranteed hours from October 2026
Workers on zero-hours or low-hours contracts gain the right to be offered guaranteed hours reflecting what they regularly work, after a 12-week reference period.
From October 2026, workers on zero-hours or low-hours contracts gain the right to be offered a contract with guaranteed hours that reflect what they actually work. The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces this alongside new shift-notice rights and compensation for cancelled shifts.
How the guaranteed-hours offer works
- After each 12-week reference period, if a worker has regularly worked more hours than their contract specifies, the employer must offer a contract reflecting those hours.
- The worker can decline the offer and remain on zero-hours — the right is to be offered, not to be forced onto, a fixed contract.
- The reference-period mechanism repeats on a rolling basis.
The threshold for "regularly worked" will be set in regulations and is expected to be a specified number of hours per week averaged across the reference period.
Shift notice and cancellation rights
The same reform package introduces:
- A right to reasonable notice of shifts. Workers on zero-hours arrangements must be told their shifts a reasonable time in advance.
- Compensation for cancelled shifts at short notice. Where a shift is cancelled, moved or shortened with less than a defined notice period, the worker is entitled to a proportionate payment.
The specific notice periods will be set out in regulations.
What employers should do now
- Audit the zero-hours workforce. How many workers regularly work consistent hours? They are the ones most likely to trigger a guaranteed-hours offer.
- Start tracking hours carefully from now so the reference-period baseline is reliable when the rules go live.
- Review zero-hours contract templates. They will need updating to reflect the new rights.
- Consider whether the zero-hours model still suits the business. For workers who consistently work 30+ hours/week, a permanent part-time contract may be simpler and lower-risk.
What is already unlawful
Exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts (clauses banning a worker from accepting work elsewhere) have been unlawful since 2015. The October 2026 reforms build on that foundation.
Official source: GOV.UK — Employment Rights Act 2025.
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Read articleThis article is reference content, not legal advice. UK employment law changes frequently; while we verify articles regularly against the named source, you should always check the current position with a qualified employment solicitor for any specific decision. Complyer Editorial Team · Updated May 2026.