Zero Hours Contracts in England, Wales and Scotland

Who this guide is for

People in England, Wales or Scotland on zero hours or other casual contracts, where the employer does not have to offer work and pays only for work done. It covers holiday, pay, sick pay, working elsewhere, and your status.

What this guide does not cover

• Work in Northern Ireland: see the Northern Ireland guide.
• Agency workers: see our agency worker guide. Gig and platform work: see our worker or self-employed guide.
• Being paid below the minimum wage: see our minimum wage guide. Dismissal, notice and redundancy: see our employee rights guide.
• How much holiday pay you are owed in money, and rolled-up holiday pay. This guide does not work these out: ask Acas.
• Tribunal time limits in detail: see our tribunal deadline guide.

What the rules depend on

1. Are you a worker or an employee? Workers get the core rights in this guide. Employees also get notice, unfair dismissal protection and redundancy pay once they have enough service.
2. Do your hours change from week to week? If yes, your holiday is built up from the hours you work.
3. What has your employer done? For example, refused holiday pay, cut your shifts because you work elsewhere, or not paid you for sickness.
4. When did it happen? The date decides your time limit.

"Am I a worker or an employee?"

You are likely to be a worker if most of these apply: you occasionally do work for a business; the business does not have to offer you work and you do not have to accept it; your contract uses words like "casual", "freelance", "zero hours" or "as required"; you are under the supervision or control of a manager; and you cannot send someone else to do your work.

You are probably an employee if you have to work regularly unless you are on leave, and you have to do a minimum number of hours and expect to be paid for them.

Workers usually do not get minimum notice, protection against unfair dismissal, the right to request flexible working, time off for emergencies or statutory redundancy pay.

"Do I get holiday?"

Almost all workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year. This includes workers on zero hours contracts and workers with irregular hours.

People working irregular hours or part of the year build up ("accrue") leave depending on the hours they have already worked, rather than getting a fixed number of days. That applies to leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024.

Statutory paid holiday is limited to 28 days a year.

"Can they stop me working for someone else?"

No. Since 26 May 2015, a clause in a zero hours contract that stops you working for another employer, or needs your employer's consent to do so, cannot be enforced against you.

An employee dismissed mainly for breaching such a clause is treated as unfairly dismissed, with no minimum length of service. A worker must not be treated worse for it.

"Do I get paid when I'm sick?"

From 6 April 2026, statutory sick pay (SSP) is paid from the first full day of sickness absence, with no minimum earnings. It is £123.25 a week, or 80% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. Workers may be entitled to it.

"What else am I entitled to?"

• At least the minimum wage for all the hours you work: from 1 April 2026, £12.71 an hour at 21 and over.
• A payslip on or before payday, showing the hours you worked if your pay depends on them.
• A written statement of your main terms on your first day.
• Your employer must check your right to work before you start (if you are a worker rather than an employee, this applies where you started on or after 1 October 2026). If you have an eVisa, the only way is online, with a share code starting with W. Otherwise they cannot insist on one way of proving it. They must never ask for your passwords.

"I've heard about guaranteed hours"

The Employment Rights Act 2025 includes new rights for zero hours and low-hours workers, such as a right to be offered guaranteed hours. These are not in force yet. Until they start, today's rules apply.

"What can I do?"

Speak to your employer first. If that does not work, get advice from Acas, Citizens Advice or your trade union. Before you can make most employment tribunal claims, you must notify Acas to start early conciliation. Your time limit is paused while conciliation runs, but only if you notify Acas within your time limit.

Deadlines you must meet

• Unpaid wages or holiday pay: 3 months less 1 day, or 6 months less 1 day where the act (or the last act in a series) happened on or after 1 October 2026, counted from the date the pay was due (the last one, for a series).
• A claim for unlawful deductions from wages, including holiday pay, cannot go back more than 2 years before the date the claim is made to the tribunal.
• Your exact date depends on your facts: see our tribunal deadline guide.

Money figures

• Minimum wage at 21 and over from 1 April 2026: £12.71 an hour.
• Statutory sick pay from 6 April 2026: £123.25 a week, or 80% of average weekly earnings if lower.

Traps

• Zero hours does not mean no holiday. Almost all workers get 5.6 weeks.
• The guaranteed hours rights are not law yet.
• An exclusivity clause in a zero hours contract cannot be enforced.
• Do not use Northern Ireland rules here.