Guaranteed Hours Request Letter: Free Template and What to Include

If you need to formally request a move to guaranteed hours after a regular working pattern, a written letter is the recommended first step — it creates a clear record and shows you're pursuing the matter formally. Below is what a strong guaranteed hours request should include.

What this letter needs to cover

• Set out the consistent working pattern over the preceding period
• Ask your employer to offer a contract with guaranteed hours reflecting the regular pattern
• Request a formal meeting to discuss

Where the law on guaranteed hours stands

The Employment Rights Act 2025 includes a new right for zero-hours and low-hours workers to be offered guaranteed hours that reflect the hours they regularly work, but it is not in force yet. Until it starts there is no legal right to guaranteed hours — but you can still ask, and a clear record of your regular pattern makes the request harder to ignore.

What to include before you send it

• Confirmation of your actual worked hours pattern over the relevant reference period
• A clear request for guaranteed hours reflecting this regular pattern
• A note that you are asking now, before the new guaranteed hours right comes into force
• A request for a response within a reasonable timeframe

What changes when the new right starts

Today, getting guaranteed hours on a zero-hours contract depends on negotiation. When the Employment Rights Act 2025 right starts, employers will have to offer guaranteed hours based on a reference period of regular work, rather than workers having to ask. The details and the start date are set by regulations, so check them before relying on the new right.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as a sufficiently "regular" pattern to qualify?
Under the new right, this will be set by a reference period in regulations that have not started yet. For now there is no legal test — describe your actual pattern as clearly as you can.

Can I decline a guaranteed hours offer if I actually prefer the flexibility of zero hours?
Yes — once the new right is in force, it will be a right to be offered guaranteed hours, not an obligation to accept them.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[Name of Manager]
[Job Title]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[Company Postcode]
[Date]

Dear [Name],

Subject: Request for a contract with guaranteed hours

I am on a zero-hours contract, but I have worked a regular pattern for you.

Between [Start Date] and [End Date], I worked an average of [number] hours a week, usually [e.g. Monday to Thursday, 9am to 3pm]. My records are enclosed.

I am asking you to offer me a contract with guaranteed hours that reflects this pattern. I know the Employment Rights Act 2025 right to be offered guaranteed hours is not in force yet, so I am asking now. Guaranteed hours would give me financial stability and match how I already work.

Please arrange a formal meeting to discuss this, and reply within 14 days.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]