Employment status in the gig economy: government response to Taylor review
On 9 February the government finally published its response to last year’s Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices (the Taylor review) which looked at the gig economy and how new ways of working were affecting workers’ rights. However, the response… Read on
Analysis – zero hours contracts and the proposed ‘right to request’
A topic that is currently receiving much attention, not least because of the forthcoming general election, is that of ‘zero hours’ contracts. As we reported earlier this year, Matthew Taylor is conducting a review of modern working practices and the… Read on
Santander’s way around zero hours contracts
As recent articles in the press have reported, Santander has introduced new contracts in an effort to circumvent the new rules limiting the use of zero hours contracts. Zero-hour contracts have been much in the news recently. A relatively recent… Read on
What are zero hours contracts?
Zero hours contracts are contracts under which employees or workers agree to work only where the employer makes work available, but there is no certainty that any such work will be made available. Any provision in a zero hours contract… Read on
Zero hours exclusivity ban in place
On 26 May 2015 s.153 Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 was brought into force, making exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts unenforceable. There are, as yet, no anti-avoidance measures in place, but the legislation also gives the Secretary… Read on
Sports Direct backs down on zero-hours contracts
As part of an out-of-court settlement, Sports Direct has agreed to rewrite its job adverts and employment contracts to make it clear that its zero hours staff (nearly 90% of its workforce) are not guaranteed work. Zahera Gabriel-Abrahem, who was… Read on
Banning exclusivity in zero hours contracts
The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, recently announced that the government will ban the use of exclusivity clauses (tying the employee to the employer) in contracts which do not guarantee hours of work. The announcement was made in response to the… Read on
Taste of future employment law
In the Queen’s speech, the government has given us a flavour of likely upcoming changes to employment law. We await the details, but here’s where we can expect the changes to be: Minimum wage: penalties are likely to be increased… Read on
Zero hours contracts blessing or curse?
Over the summer, zero hours contracts have come into sharp focus with their use being debated by trades unions, government departments and business leaders. So what are they, and are they a good or bad thing? A zero hours contract… Read on