Key points
  • The consultation on reforming zero-hours and similar contracts under the Employment Rights Act closes 25 August 2026.
  • A separate consultation on workplace surveillance technologies closes 30 September 2026.
  • The Fair Work Agency, launched April 2026, now has a proactive enforcement mandate covering National Minimum Wage, holiday pay, statutory sick pay and agency worker rules in a single investigation.

The government's consultation on reforming zero-hours and similar contracts under the Employment Rights Act closes on 25 August 2026, alongside a separate consultation on workplace surveillance technologies closing 30 September 2026.

What's actually being consulted on

The Employment Rights Act reform consultation covers zero-hours and similar flexible contract arrangements, though the specific proposals open for comment weren't detailed in full in the available reporting. What's confirmed is the closing date — 25 August 2026 — and that it sits within the government's wider Employment Rights Act reform agenda. A related but separate consultation on workplace surveillance technologies runs slightly longer, closing 30 September 2026, covering a different but adjacent area of employer obligations.

Why the Fair Work Agency changes the stakes here

The consultations arrive as the Fair Work Agency, which launched in April 2026, continues to bed in. Its proactive enforcement mandate is notable for combining National Minimum Wage, holiday pay, statutory sick pay and agency worker rules into a single investigation — previously, these could involve separate enforcement bodies or processes. For an employer using zero-hours or flexible contracts, this consolidation means a single Fair Work Agency investigation could now touch multiple compliance areas at once, raising the practical cost of falling short on any one of them.

Worth knowing Consultation responses genuinely shape final rules in UK employment law reform — this isn't a rubber-stamp process. Employers and industry bodies who respond before 25 August 2026 have a real opportunity to flag practical implementation issues before requirements are finalised and enforcement expectations harden.

What employers should do before the deadline

Compliance specialists quoted in the coverage are urging employers to treat the open consultation as a genuine opportunity to shape workable rules, rather than waiting to react once final requirements are set. For any UK small business using zero-hours, casual or similar flexible contracts, reviewing current contract terms against the Fair Work Agency's combined enforcement scope — and considering a consultation response before 25 August — is a more proactive position than waiting for the outcome to be published.

Very particular time.

— Matthew Taylor, Chair, Fair Work Agency, via Contractor UK, July 2026

What's still unresolved

The exact content of the government's zero-hours reform proposals — what specifically is being proposed for change versus simply under review — wasn't fully detailed in the source reporting used for this article, so employers should read the official consultation document directly on GOV.UK rather than relying on secondary coverage alone. It's also not yet clear how quickly any resulting rule changes would take effect after the consultation closes, so the practical enforcement timeline beyond the Fair Work Agency's current mandate remains uncertain.

Common questions

When does the zero-hours contract reform consultation close?

The consultation on reforming zero-hours and similar contracts under the Employment Rights Act closes on 25 August 2026.

What is the Fair Work Agency?

The Fair Work Agency is a UK enforcement body that launched in April 2026 with a proactive enforcement mandate covering National Minimum Wage, holiday pay, statutory sick pay and agency worker rules, combinable into a single investigation.

Is there a separate consultation on workplace surveillance technology?

Yes. A separate consultation on workplace surveillance technologies closes 30 September 2026, running alongside the zero-hours contract reform consultation.

Should small businesses respond to the zero-hours contract consultation?

Compliance specialists are urging employers to respond before the 25 August 2026 deadline, since consultation responses can genuinely shape the final rules before enforcement expectations harden.

In short

The government's zero-hours contract reform consultation under the Employment Rights Act closes 25 August 2026, alongside a workplace surveillance consultation closing 30 September 2026. Both arrive as the Fair Work Agency, launched April 2026, builds out a combined enforcement mandate covering minimum wage, holiday pay, sick pay and agency worker rules. UK employers using flexible contracts should review their arrangements now and consider responding to the consultation before it closes.

Based on reporting by Contractor UK, 4 Aug 2026.

Sources