What a zero-hours contract is
A zero-hours contract means your employer doesn't have to offer you a minimum number of hours, and you don't have to accept every shift you're offered. They're common in care, hospitality, retail, events and warehouse work.
What you're still entitled to
- At least the minimum wage for every hour you work
- Paid holiday: on irregular hours it builds up at 12.07% of the hours you work
- Rest breaks: 20 minutes on a shift over 6 hours, 11 hours between working days
- A written statement of your terms from day one
- Statutory sick pay if you meet the conditions
- Protection from discrimination and unlawful deductions from pay
Working for other employers
Exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts are banned. Your employer can't stop you working for someone else, and any clause that tries to is unenforceable.
Changes on the way
New employment law passed in 2025 brings in further protections for zero-hours workers, including offers of guaranteed hours and notice or payment when shifts are cancelled at short notice. These are being phased in, so check GOV.UK for when each part applies to you.
Keep your own record
When hours change every week, your own record of each shift is the easiest way to check your pay and holiday are right.
Cancelled shifts
Right now, unless your contract says otherwise, there's no general right to be paid for a shift that's cancelled before you start it. The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a right to reasonable notice of shifts and compensation for shifts cancelled or cut at short notice, but these parts come in over time. Keep a record of every cancellation with the date, the shift and how much notice you got.
Is it really zero hours?
If you've worked the same pattern for months, you may have more rights than your contract suggests. Regular hours over a long period matter for things like holiday pay calculations and, under the new law, for an offer of guaranteed hours. Your own shift history is the evidence.
Sick pay
Zero-hours workers can get Statutory Sick Pay if they meet the conditions. Changes in the Employment Rights Act 2025 remove the waiting days and the lower earnings limit, so more low-paid and part-time workers qualify from day one of sickness once they take effect.
Keep your own record
Shiftaan works out your hours and expected pay for every shift, even ones that cross midnight. Open the app.
Common questions
Can my zero-hours employer stop me working elsewhere?
No. Exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts have been banned since 2015.
Do zero-hours workers get holiday pay?
Yes. On irregular hours, holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours you work in each pay period.
Do I get paid if my shift is cancelled?
Not by law at the moment, unless your contract says so. New rights to compensation for short-notice cancellations are being brought in under the Employment Rights Act 2025.