The Exclusivity Terms in Zero Hour Contracts (Redress) Regulations 2015 came into force today. It provides employees and workers under a zero hour contract with some important additional employment rights, as follows:

  1. Any dismissal of a zero hour contract employee will be automatically unfair, if the principal reason is that employee breached a contractual provision restricting them from working for another employer. There is no qualifying period needed to bring this automatic unfair dismissal claim.
  2. It is now unlawful to submit a zero hour worker (not just an employee) to a detriment (i.e. disadvantage) if they work for another employer in breach of a contractual provision restricting them from doing so.

These are significant changes which need to be reflected in any existing zero hour contracts. Have your contracts been updated? If not, please call Henry Doswell on 01233 722942 or email him at henry@doswell-law.com to find out what these changes could mean for your business.