The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023 has passed through the House of Lords to receive Royal Assent.
Brought forward by Blackpool South MP Scott Benton and Baroness Anderson, the new law will give all workers, including those on zero-hours contracts, the legal right to request a predictable working pattern if they satisfy certain eligibility criteria.
If an employee’s existing working pattern is uncertain in terms of the hours and times they work, or if it is a fixed term contract for less than 12 months, they will be able to apply to change their working pattern to make it more predictable. Their employer will be required to notify them of their decision regarding the request within one month.
Kevin Hollinrake, business and trade minister, said: “Although zero-hours contracts can often suit workers who want to work flexibly and employers whose needs vary, it is unfair for anyone to have to put their lives on hold to make themselves available for shifts that may never actually come; this act helps to end the guessing game.
“A happier workforce means increased productivity, helping, in turn, to grow the economy, which is why we’ve backed these measures to give people across the UK more say over their working pattern.”
Kate Palmer, HR advice and consultancy director at Peninsula, added: “This is a brand new right; however, it does appear to contradict recent calls for employees to have more flexibility in how they work which resulted in another recent legislative change to flexible-working requests.
“The procedure for dealing with a request for a predictable working pattern is on a par with flexible-working requests. But there is one big difference as such requests for a predictable working pattern must be dealt with by the employer within one month. Arguably, the biggest impact of this new right will be on employers which have zero hours workers and so it will hit some employers more than others.”