Zero hours consultation – our response

June 2, 2026

Government must avoid unnecessarily over-regulating flexible work, the trade body said.

The consultation covers:

a right to guaranteed hours, where the number of hours offered reflects the hours worked by a qualifying worker during a reference period
a right to reasonable notice of shifts
a right to payment for shifts cancelled, curtailed, or moved at short notice

Our response

Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality, said: “Jobs in hospitality are critical for supporting people who need flexible hours and jobs, from working parents to those with caring responsibilities.

“Retaining access to zero hours contracts was crucial and it was important the Government recognised that in the Employment Rights Act.

“Exploitative contracts have no place in hospitality and we share the Government’s ambition to protect flexible work, so it’s crucial it works with both employers and employees to get the detail right across the low hours threshold, reference period and new shifts provisions.

“In particular, the reference period for guaranteed hours should be set much higher than the Government’s preference of 12 weeks. Offering contracted hours based on 26 weeks work would be a fairer and more accurate reflection of a team members regular work pattern, and would better reflect the seasonal nature of hospitality.

“It’s also vital the Government acknowledges the inherent unpredictability in hospitality and that its shifts policy caters for that, across notice, changes or cancellation of shifts. Hot weather or a major sporting event, for example, can all fundamentally change how a business runs on any particular day.

“There is a danger that over-regulating flexible work actually increases work instability, rather than decrease it, which would undermine the Government’s agenda to get people back into work. That must be avoided at all costs.”