Commentary on Sections Zero Hours Workers Section 18: Zero hours workers
Section 18 inserts new Article 59A into the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996. The inserted Article empowers the Department to make appropriate provision to prevent abuses associated with the use of zero hours contracts, non-contractual zero hours arrangements or worker’s contracts of a kind to be specified in regulations. The Article includes a definition of “zero hours contract” and “non-contractual zero hours arrangement”. It also specifies when an employer is deemed to make work available and how references to work may be interpreted. Finally, the Article permits regulations (subject, by virtue of section 24, to the draft affirmative Assembly procedure) to amend or repeal any statutory provision.