Protections for Zero Hours Workers in Force

The Government has introduced legislation giving zero hours workers a right of redress if their employer tries to prevent them working for anyone else. 

Back in May 2015, the Government legislated so that exclusivity clauses (which prevent a zero hours worker from working for another employer) are unenforceable by employers.  The Government has now introduced legislation to protect workers who are treated detrimentally by their employer as a result of working for another employer, for example by dismissing them or stopping their hours.    

The Exclusivity Terms in Zero Hours Contracts (Redress) Regulations 2015 came into force on 11 January 2016. The Regulations give employees working on zero hours contracts the right to claim unfair dismissal if they are dismissed for working for another employer. They also give workers the right to bring a tribunal claim if they are subjected to a detriment because they have worked for another employer. 

Employees will not need the normal tow years' service to bring an unfair dismissal claim.

The Government initially intended to extend the ban on exclusivity clauses to low-income contracts as well as zero hours contracts but has not done so to date.