Zero Hours Contracts: Exclusivity Clauses Banned From Today
The ban on exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts has come into force today.
Provisions of a zero hours contracts which prohibit the worker from:
- doing work or performing services under another contract or under any other arrangement; or
will no longer be enforceable against the worker.
However, the Government has not yet enacted any anti-avoidance measures, meaning that as things currently stand a zero hours worker will have no recourse if, for example, their employer decides not to offer them any further shifts as a result of them working elsewhere. Likewise employers can get round the ban by contractually guaranteeing a low number of hours, so that the contract is no longer a zero hours contract.
The Government has confirmed that it will be introducing anti-avoidance measures but it is not currently clear when these will be in force.
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