It has been confirmed that the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023 will not be brought into force this autumn, as originally expected. The Act gave workers with uncertain hours the right to request predictability about their working days and times, the number of hours worked, and the length of their contract. The Act received Royal Assent in September 2023 and Acas had published a draft Code of Practice on handling requests made under it. This now all looks to have been shelved.
However, the idea itself is likely to live on. A spokesperson for the Department of Business and Trade gave the following statement to Practical Law:
“We will introduce a new right to a contract that reflects the number of hours regularly worked as part of our significant and ambitious agenda to ensure workplace rights are fit for a modern economy, empower working people and deliver economic growth.”
This statement is in-line with the briefing note which accompanied the King’s Speech in July, where proposed legislation “banning exploitative zero-hours contracts” was linked to “ensuring workers have a right to a contract that reflects the number of hours they regularly work”.
It appears that, rather than muddy the waters by having two separate legal mechanisms for requesting predictability, the government has decided to scrap the one it inherited and move forward with new legislation, which may well form part of its forthcoming Employment Rights Bill.
Find out how we can help. Contact our Employment Law team on 01803 213251 today, without obligation.
