Adam Frankel
General Counsel · Technology & AI
15+ years as General Counsel to technology, cloud & AI companies
Zero-Hours Contract - Worker
This zero-hours worker agreement, drafted based on documents from sources such as Acas, sets out the terms under which a worker may be offered work on an ad hoc basis, with no obligation to provide or accept work, and where pay and benefits are calculated only for hours actually worked. It confirms worker status, outlines statutory rights such as pro-rata holiday and sick pay eligibility, and includes provisions on notice, grievances, and other standard employment-related terms.
Zero-Hours Contract - Worker
Find out more about zero-hours contracts from Acas here: https://www.acas.org.uk/zero-hours-contracts.
This statement lists the 'particulars' (terms and conditions) of your engagement with us as of [statement date] which are required to be given to you under the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Names of the worker and employer and the start date
You [worker name] began working for [company name] on [start date].
Job title and description
You'll be engaged as a worker on a zero-hours basis.
Brief description of the job - use either A or B
A brief description of your work is [brief description of work].
Your responsibilities are set out in the job description attached to this statement. Your job description may be amended by us and, in addition to duties set out in the job description, you may be required to undertake additional or other reasonable duties as necessary to meet the needs of our business when work is offered.
You will be offered work on an ad hoc basis; there is no guarantee of any minimum hours.
Pay
Your pay will be [pay terms] calculated based on the hours or assignments you undertake.
You'll be paid [pay frequency] for each period of work undertaken in accordance with the agreed rate.
You are responsible for your own taxes.
Place of work
Use either or both options
Your normal place of work is [workplace address].
You may be required to work at [details or address of other workplace].
Working abroad
You may be required to travel outside of the UK if agreed in advance for specific assignments.
Expenses will be handled as set out in the Expenses section below.
The Working Time Regulations do not apply to your engagement under this agreement.
Working hours
You are engaged on a zero-hours basis. Work will be offered on an ad hoc basis and you may accept or decline assignments. There is no obligation for us to offer work and no obligation for you to accept work.
Holiday entitlement
Your holiday entitlement is [holiday entitlement]. You accrue statutory holiday in line with the hours you actually work. Any holiday pay will be calculated pro rata based on hours worked.
Other benefits
Use either A, B or C.
You’ll be entitled to [details of additional benefits, for example health insurance, discounted gym or use of a company vehicle]. Your entitlement to these benefits will start [start of entitlement to benefits].
You're also eligible for other benefits, as set out in our benefits policy, only when you work sufficient hours to meet eligibility criteria. Our benefits policy can change over time. The benefits policy is available from [policy source].
You're not entitled to any benefits other than those set out in this statement.
Absence and sick pay
This is a preview. The full template is free on GitLaw.
About this template
What is this template?
This is a zero-hours worker contract that satisfies the statutory requirement to provide a written statement of particulars under the Employment Rights Act 1996. It contains specific clauses regarding the absence of guaranteed hours, the worker's responsibility for their own taxes, and the ad hoc nature of assignments. It is not an employment contract for permanent staff and explicitly states that Working Time Regulations do not apply.
When should you use it?
Use this when engaging a worker for flexible, non-guaranteed tasks where the individual is not an employee and can refuse work. If the individual is a full employee with guaranteed hours and holiday pay rights, use a standard Employment Contract instead.
What's inside
| Clause | Name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Job title and description | Engages the individual on a zero-hours basis with no guarantee of minimum hours and work offered ad hoc. |
| 3 | Pay | Specifies that the Worker is responsible for their own taxes and payment is calculated based on hours or assignments undertaken. |
| 5 | Working hours | Confirms there is no obligation for the Employer to offer work and no obligation for the Worker to accept it. |
| 8 | Absence and sick pay | Excludes contractual sick pay while allowing for Statutory Sick Pay if the Worker meets minimum earnings and statutory eligibility criteria. |
| 12 | Probationary period | Expressly states that no probationary period is applicable to the engagement. |
| 13 | Notice period and termination | Allows either party to terminate the agreement by giving a specified notice period without creating entitlement to redundancy payments. |
| 17 | Confidentiality | Prohibits the disclosure of business plans and client lists during or after the engagement. |
| 18 | Intellectual Property | Assigns all rights in Work Products created during the engagement to the Employer. |
Who it's for
- a UK business offering ad hoc work without a guarantee of minimum hours
- an individual working on a flexible basis where they can decline assignments
- an employer requiring a written statement of particulars under the Employment Rights Act 1996
How long it runs and how it's signed
How long
Runs until someone ends it
Notice to end it
[notice period]
Survives the end
Confidentiality, Intellectual Property
Signed by
Worker, Manager
Witness
Not required
Notarisation
Not required
Law it's drafted under
Required by
Employment Rights Act 1996
Refers to
Working Time Regulations
England & Wales note
This version is drafted for England & Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ on some points — for example notice periods and tribunal procedure. Tell GitLaw where you hire and it adjusts the draft.
Categories
Jurisdiction
England & Wales
Document info
HTML document. Document created on Sun Nov 23rd, 2025. Last updated on Fri Jan 9th, 2026.
This document is public
Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (Attribution-ShareAlike).
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