Zero Hours Contract Rights Checker UK 2025 — Holiday Pay, NMW & Your Rights
Zero hours contracts give employers flexibility but workers on them still have important legal rights. Use this checker to understand your rights to holiday pay, the National Minimum Wage, and new protections under the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Zero hours workers have the same right to the National Minimum Wage, holiday pay, and protection from discrimination as other workers. The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces new rights to request a guaranteed hours contract after 12 weeks. Exclusivity clauses are unenforceable on zero hours contracts.
Your Key Rights on a Zero Hours Contract
National Minimum Wage
You are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for every hour worked, regardless of how few hours you work. For 2025/26 this is £12.21/hour for those aged 21 and over. Your employer cannot average your pay over longer periods to get below NMW for individual hours.
Holiday Pay
You are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year (pro-rated for part-year workers). Since April 2024, zero hours and irregular-hours workers can be paid holiday pay in two ways: (1) as rolled-up holiday pay of 12.07% added to each pay packet, or (2) as a lump sum when taking holiday, calculated on a 52-week average of pay.
Exclusivity Clauses — Banned
Any clause in a zero hours contract that prevents you from working for another employer is unenforceable under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015. You cannot be dismissed or subjected to a detriment for working elsewhere.
Right to Request Guaranteed Hours (Employment Rights Act 2025)
Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, workers on zero hours contracts who have worked regular hours for 12 or more consecutive weeks will gain the right to request a contract that reflects their regular hours. Employers must respond and can only refuse on specified grounds.
Statutory Sick Pay
You qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you earn at least £123/week on average over the 8 weeks before your illness. Many zero hours workers qualify when they are working regularly. From April 2026, SSP is proposed to be extended further under Employment Rights Act reforms.