Overview
- The government has opened a consultation proposing employers must offer guaranteed hours to staff on zero‑hours or short‑hours contracts using a preferred 12‑week reference period.
- Officials signalled a minimum‑hours range of about eight to 20 hours per week for contracts at or below those levels, with details and timing to be set before rules come into force next year.
- The British Retail Consortium urged ministers to use a longer 26‑week reference period and to narrowly define low‑hours roles to avoid forcing firms to make seasonal or extra shifts permanent.
- Polling commissioned by the BRC found 67% of part‑time workers chose their jobs for flexibility, and retailers warn that stricter guarantees could lead employers to cut ad‑hoc extra shifts.
- The consultation is being fought over technical design because the retail sector employs nearly three million people, more than 57% in part‑time roles, and changes could affect student, parent and youth access to work.