Your Zero Hours Rights Checker
Answer the questions below for a personalised rights summary based on your situation.
1 of 5 — Do you work for this employer regularly (not just occasionally)?
Answer 5 quick questions to see your full employment rights — minimum wage, holiday pay, guaranteed hours and more. Current for 2026/27.
Answer the questions below for a personalised rights summary based on your situation.
1 of 5 — Do you work for this employer regularly (not just occasionally)?
Using the 12.07% method — enter your total earnings over a period to estimate your holiday pay entitlement.
If you work on a zero hours contract in the UK, you have the following legal rights regardless of how many hours you work or whether your contract guarantees any hours at all.
Every hour you work must be paid at or above the legal minimum. From April 2026: £12.21/hr (21+), £10.00/hr (18–20), £7.55/hr (under 18 / apprentice). There are no exceptions for zero hours workers.
You accrue 5.6 weeks of paid holiday pro rata based on the hours you work. For variable hours workers the 12.07% method is commonly used.
You are entitled to a written statement of employment particulars from day one of employment (since April 2020). This must cover pay rate, hours, and holiday entitlement.
You are entitled to a 20-minute unpaid rest break if you work more than 6 hours in a shift, 11 hours rest between shifts, and one day off in every 7.
If you earn at least £10,000 per year and are aged 22 to State Pension age, your employer must automatically enrol you into a workplace pension. Minimum employer contribution: 3%.
You are protected from discrimination on grounds of age, sex, race, disability, religion, sexual orientation, pregnancy and other protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
Since May 2023, any clause in your zero hours contract preventing you from working for another employer is legally unenforceable. You can freely take a second job.
The Employment Rights Act 2024 is one of the most significant changes to employment law in a generation. For zero hours workers, the key new right is the right to request a guaranteed hours contract.
This does not mean your employer is forced to offer you a guaranteed hours contract — only that they must genuinely consider your request and respond within a reasonable timeframe with written reasons if they refuse.
Working out holiday pay on a zero hours contract is more complex than for salaried workers — but the entitlement is the same: 5.6 weeks of paid leave per year.
Because your hours fluctuate, your holiday entitlement is usually calculated as a percentage of the hours you work. The formula is:
5.6 ÷ (52 − 5.6) = 12.07%
Holiday pay = Total earnings × 12.07%
For example, if you earn £1,500 in a month, your holiday pay accrual for that month is £1,500 × 12.07% = £181.05.
Since April 2024, the reference period for calculating holiday pay for variable-hours workers changed. Holiday pay must now be calculated using the average earnings from the previous 52 weeks in which the worker was paid (not including weeks without pay). This ensures your holiday pay accurately reflects your actual earnings.
If you believe your employer is not meeting their legal obligations, take the following steps:
Save your payslips, timesheets, rota, and any messages from your employer. Calculate your expected pay using the NMW rates and compare against what you received.
Speak to your manager or HR department in writing, clearly stating the problem. Keep a copy of all correspondence. Most issues can be resolved internally.
ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) provides free impartial advice. Call 0300 123 1100 (Mon–Fri 8am–6pm) or visit acas.org.uk. ACAS can also provide early conciliation before an employment tribunal.
If you are being underpaid the National Minimum Wage, report it to HMRC at gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights or call 0300 123 1100. HMRC can investigate, force back payment, and fine employers up to 200% of the underpayment.
As a last resort, you can bring a claim to an Employment Tribunal. You must usually do so within 3 months of the issue occurring. You must notify ACAS first (early conciliation). Awards can include back pay, compensation, and in some cases injury to feelings payments.
Typical part-time zero-hours role
Variable hours, higher volume
Low hours, high flexibility
Since 2015, exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts are banned — employers cannot stop you from working for someone else. Any such clause in your contract is legally unenforceable, and you cannot be dismissed or penalised for taking work with another employer.
Most people on zero hours contracts are classified as workers rather than employees. Workers have fewer rights than employees but are still entitled to National Minimum Wage, paid holiday (5.6 weeks pro rata), rest breaks, protection from discrimination, and auto-enrolment pension contributions if eligible.
You may be classed as an employee if you have a high degree of regular work and mutual obligation — an employment tribunal can determine this based on the reality of your working relationship, not just what the contract says.
Yes. All workers, including those on zero hours contracts, are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. For variable-hours workers, this is typically calculated using the 12.07% method: your holiday pay equals 12.07% of your total pay for hours worked.
Since April 2024, holiday pay must be calculated as an average over the previous 52 working weeks (only counting weeks in which you were paid).
Technically yes — zero hours contracts do not guarantee any minimum hours, so employers can reduce or stop offering shifts. However, it is illegal for an employer to withdraw shifts as a punishment for you exercising a legal right (such as requesting holiday pay, whistleblowing, or requesting guaranteed hours).
The Employment Rights Act 2024 provides additional protections against unreasonable withdrawal of hours and strengthens the right to request a regular contract after 26 weeks.
You may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of £116.75/week if you are classed as an employee or worker, earn at least £123 per week (Lower Earnings Limit 2026/27), and have been ill for more than 3 consecutive days.
Not all zero hours workers will qualify — if you earn below the threshold or work very irregular hours, you may not meet the criteria. Check your eligibility at gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay.
Yes. Since May 2023, exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts are unenforceable by law. This means your employer cannot legally prevent you from working for another employer. Any exclusivity clause in your contract is void and you cannot be dismissed or subjected to any detriment for working elsewhere.
The Employment Rights Act 2024 introduces a right for zero hours workers to request a contract with guaranteed hours that reflects their regular working pattern, once they have worked for an employer for 26 weeks.
The employer must consider the request and can only refuse on specific business grounds, with written reasons provided. You cannot be penalised for making the request. This right is expected to come into force in 2026.