The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill, which seeks to improve conditions for workers on zero-hour contracts, recently received Royal Assent in the House of Lords. London managing partner and Employment Litigation and Counseling lawyer, Christopher Hitchins noted that the Workers Bill is part of a greater effort to address imbalance between employers and zero-hours workers and agency staff — referred to as "one-sided flexibility."
He stated, "This change in the law is another tinkering to address the new types of working patterns that are associated with the 'gig economy,' to try to give workers a bit more certainty over their hours of work and income. These developments in the new law are an iterative process, for example starting with the ban on exclusivity clauses for zero hours' workers a few years' back. This new law is another 'right to request' — like the right to request flexible working from day one, which is due to come in some time in 2024 — which can be turned down by an employer with appropriate reasoning, not an outright right."
- "New UK law offers zero-hour contract workers more financial predictability," Reward Strategy, September 19, 2023
- "Right to predictable working hours receives Royal Assent," Personnel Today, September 19, 2023
- "Millions of UK Workers Will Have the Right to Predictable Working Hours as Bill Receives Royal Assent," Staffing Industry Analysis, September 20, 2023
- "[UK] Royal assent for right to predictable working hours," Global Payroll Association, September 22, 2023
- "Workers gain right to request more predictable hours," British Safety Council, September 22, 2023
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