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Written question asked by Michael Wheeler (Labour) on Thursday, 11 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 17 June 2026 (named day). It was answered by Kate Dearden (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Working Hours

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, whether the Government modelled the impact of a higher hours threshold than 20 hours per week.

Answer

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours is between 8 and 20 hours per week. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers while options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
9196
Session
2026-27
Registered interest declared
Yes
Subjects
Working hours
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk