Member

The noble Lord, Lord Goddard, said that some sectors are inherently more flexible. We understand that, but this would be reflected in the number of hours offered when the guaranteed hours were assessed. A “right to request” model could create undesirable barriers, making it especially difficult for vulnerable workers on exploitative zero-hours contracts to access their right to those guaranteed hours, especially as many workers are younger and often in their first job. As the Bill is drafted, after receiving an offer from the employer, qualifying workers will be empowered to decide based on their individual circumstances. If a worker wants to retain their zero-hours contracts, as many will, they can do so by rejecting the offer.