Contracts & zero hours

Lesson 2 of 16 in our free Work, Payslips & Tax guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.

This lesson is in the full version.

Free with a code from your uni, college, council, landlord or employer (worth £600/year). Lesson 1 of Work, Payslips & Tax is free for everyone.

Questions you'll answer

Mo's zero-hours shifts swing from 8 to 25 hours a week. Best way to budget?

You get a written statement of your terms on your first day → Green flag. That's your legal right from day one. Love to see it.
'Zero-hours, but you can't work anywhere else' → Red flag. In England, Scotland and Wales, exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts are banned. They can't stop you taking other work.
Holiday pay builds up based on the hours you work → Green flag. Correct — zero-hours workers still earn holiday.
'We'll pay you once you've done 3 months' → Red flag. You get paid for the work you do, on the agreed pay day. Not 'eventually'.
Shifts offered with clear notice and paid on an itemised payslip → Green flag. Green flag. This is the bare minimum, and we celebrate the bare minimum here.
Fact: “On a zero-hours contract you can turn down shifts.” — No guaranteed hours means no obligation to accept every shift either.
Myth: “Zero-hours workers don't get holiday pay.” — They do. It builds up based on the hours worked.
Fact: “Your contract can be 'just verbal', but you're still owed a written statement.” — A verbal agreement is still a contract — and you're entitled to the terms in writing.