Consumer Chat – 13 August 2026

Zero-hour contract reforms

Cavendish’s Milo Bussell featured in The Grocer on the potential impact of zero-hour contract reforms on retail and hospitality.

Government analysis estimates that the reforms could add between £350m and £2.9bn a year to employer costs, with retail and hospitality among the sectors expected to feel the greatest impact.

Commenting on the proposals, Milo Bussell, Consumer Analyst at Cavendish, highlighted the tension between improving security for low-paid workers and preserving the flexibility valued by many students and casual workers.

“The risk is that a policy aimed at protecting the most insecure workers ends up shrinking the pool of entry-level and flexible jobs those same workers rely on.”

The article also looks at wider concerns from retail and hospitality bodies around the cumulative impact of employment costs and the potential effect on job creation.

Read the full article in The Grocer.