Prospect calls for stronger worker protections in reforms to zero hours and similar contracts

Prospect has submitted its response to the Government’s consultation on ending one-sided flexibility, backing reforms designed to give workers greater security over their hours, income and working lives while preserving flexibility where workers value it.

The consultation will determine how key provisions in the Employment Rights Act are implemented, including new rights to guaranteed hours, reasonable notice of shifts and compensation for work cancelled at short notice.

Prospect’s response draws on evidence from members in our Bectu sector, working across theatre, live events, cinema and other parts of the creative industries, many of whom currently experience insecure hours, unpredictable scheduling and last-minute cancellations. You can read a summary of the findings here.

Some of the most significant benefits of the reforms could come from stronger rights around notice and cancellations. Too often, workers are asked to reserve time for work only for shifts, schedules or productions to be changed or cancelled at short notice, leaving them unable to secure alternative work and out of pocket as a result.

Recent events across the creative industries have highlighted the impact that late changes can have on workers who depend on that income. Prospect’s response calls for workers to receive meaningful notice of work schedules, compensation where shifts are cancelled at short notice and stronger protections against one-sided flexibility.

The response also supports the introduction of a right to guaranteed hours. However, Prospect is clear that the legislation should deliver meaningful security while preserving worker choice. Workers who value the flexibility of a zero-hours arrangement will be able to decline a guaranteed-hours offer and remain on their existing terms. The Employment Rights Act also allows alternative arrangements to be agreed through collective bargaining, enabling unions and employers to negotiate solutions that reflect established working patterns while maintaining core protections.

Philippa Childs, Head of Bectu, said:

“These reforms have the potential to make a meaningful difference to workers who currently face uncertainty over their hours, earnings and schedules.

“Ending one-sided flexibility should mean ensuring that workers have access to real security while retaining the flexibility that many value and rely upon. It is important that workers are able to choose whether guaranteed hours are right for them and that collective bargaining continues to play a central role in shaping arrangements that work in different sectors.

“For many workers, stronger rights around notice and cancellations could be transformative. Nobody should be left carrying the financial consequences of poor workforce planning, late cancellations or abrupt changes to work schedules.

“The Government now has an opportunity to ensure that flexibility works for workers as well as employers and to create a framework that delivers both security and choice.”

The response, which you can read in full here, also highlights the importance of effective enforcement, robust anti-avoidance measures and collective bargaining in ensuring that the new rights deliver meaningful improvements in practice rather than simply changing contractual arrangements on paper.