Read your Zero Hours Contract to make sure it meets your needs and ensure that everyone involved agrees with it. Remember that if you have any questions you can easily Ask a lawyer.
Zero hours contract checklist
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Be aware that exclusivity terms in Zero Hours Contracts are unenforceable and you should not include any exclusivity provisions in your arrangements.
Take into account the annual leave entitlement of zero hours workers. Casual staff are entitled to the statutory minimum of 28 days of holiday (including bank holidays), although this is pro-rata (ie based on the average number of hours worked). For more information, read How to calculate holiday entitlement.
Benefits offered to permanent employees can be extended to workers under a Zero Hours Contract. However, make sure these are offered to all workers to avoid discrimination.
The employer and the workers (known as the ‘parties’) should sign the Zero Hours Contract to demonstrate their commitment to the provisions it contains. You can sign your Contract by either:
Signing online
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You can sign online using RocketSign.
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The other party will receive an email invite to sign online.
Signing in print
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Print a copy of the Zero Hours Contract for each party.
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Sign and date both copies.
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Send both copies to your future worker and ask them to date and sign them before returning one copy to you. The zero hours worker should keep the second copy for their records.
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The date of the Contract is the date on which the parties signed if that was the same day. If they signed on different days, then it is the day when the last person signed.
A copy of your Zero Hours Contract will be stored automatically in your Rocket Lawyer account ‘Dashboard’.
The business should keep the original signed agreement, as well as a copy for their records. The zero hours worker should keep their own original signed agreement.
If you signed online, you should also download and securely store a copy of your signed Contract for your records. If you signed in print, you should securely store your paper copy of the signed Contract.
Make sure you review the zero hours arrangement regularly and ensure the Contract reflects what happens in practice.
