In a move designed to benefit shift workers and those in the gig economy, the Government has proposed workers should have the right to switch to a contract that better reflects their normal working hours.
The proposals centre around legislation which would set out a specific reference period to establish what a worker’s “normal working hours” would be, the length of the qualifying period, and under what circumstances an employer could refuse to give the worker a contract guaranteeing their normal hours.
The move is designed to tackle some of the issues identified by the Low Pay Commission, which included unpredictability of hours and resulting insecurity of income, and the inability of workers in these roles to assert their rights.
The Government has launched a consultation into this proposal as well as additional proposals to grant workers the right to reasonable notice of their working hours, which would be enforceable by the Employment Tribunal, and the introduction of compensation for workers whose shifts are cancelled or curtailed without notice.
The consultation is due to end on 11 October 2019 – a copy of it can be found here.