Contract types and employer responsibilities
Zero-hours contracts
Zero-hours contracts are also known as casual contracts. Zero-hours contracts are usually for ‘piece work’ or ‘on call’ work, for example for interpreters.
This means:
- they are on call to work when you need them
- you do not have to give them work
- they do not have to do work when asked
Zero-hours workers are entitled to statutory annual leave and the National Minimum Wage in the same way as regular workers.
You cannot do anything to stop a zero-hours worker from getting work elsewhere. The law says they can ignore a clause in their contract if it bans them from:
- looking for work
- accepting work from another employer
You are still responsible for health and safety of staff on zero-hours contracts.