By Anna Jordan on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
Zero hours workers may work fewer hours than their fully employed counterparts, but they have a lot of the same rights as them.
Even though the rights are set in law, the definition of a zero hours contract isn’t. Zero hours can mean different things to different companies as there’s no concrete legal definition.
As an employer, the main thing you should know is that they’re not to be used for central business processes – only to fill in smaller labour gaps like seasonal work. For more central roles, you should consider alternatives such as fixed contracts first.
Everyone on a zero hour contract has statutory employment rights, without exception. They’ll either have the status of a worker or an employee. Most will be classed as workers.
Those who are classed as workers will be entitled to at least:
The national minimum wagePaid annual leave Rest breaks (rest at work, rest between shifts or working days and weekly rest periods)Protection from discrimination
On top of that, employees have the right to (among others):
Statutory sick pay (SSP)Time off for emergencies involving dependentsRedundancy pay Parental leave
Employees will also have protection from being dismissed