Zero-Hours Contract in Italy: What It Is and How It Works

Who Can Work Under a Zero-Hours Contract

A zero-hours contract — “lavoro intermittente” in Italian law — is a standard employment relationship, fixed-term or open-ended. The worker makes themselves available to the employer, who calls them in only when needed, following the cases set by the relevant collective bargaining agreement or, failing that, by a ministerial decree.

Two paths lead to signing one. The first is age-based: under Legislative Decree 81/2015, a zero-hours contract is always permitted with someone under 24, provided the job ends before they turn 25, or with someone over 55, with no upper limit. The second depends on the type of job: the irregular activities listed in the table attached to Royal Decree no. 2657 of 6 December 1923 remain eligible, now identified by the Ministerial Decree of 23 October 2004 — a historical list that includes jobs such as caretaking and concierge work. Law no. 56 of 7 April 2025 repealed that royal decree, but the Ministry of Labour, in a note dated 27 August 2025, clarified that the listed activities remain in force because they were incorporated into the 2004 ministerial decree, so the table stays usable for zero-hours contracts. The general rules that govern any contract of this kind are covered in Contract: Definition, Requirements, and Why the Law Enforces It.

There’s one firm exception: the rules on intermittent work do not apply to public-sector employees. A public administration agency cannot cover an unstaffed shift with this kind of contract, no matter how urgent.

With the same employer, there’s also a cap of 400 actual workdays within three calendar years. The rule leaves out tourism, public venues, and entertainment, where no such limit exists. Cross the line anywhere else, and the relationship converts on its own into a full-time, open-ended contract.

On-Call Pay and Rights When There’s No Work

This is where the zero-hours contract is most often misunderstood. If the worker hasn’t agreed to stay available for the employer’s calls, they receive no pay or other benefits during periods with no work. Nothing stops them from taking another job or saying no to a call, and the contract stays perfectly regular either way.

It’s different if the worker commits to staying ready. Article 16 of Legislative Decree 81/2015 then entitles them to a standby allowance: a monthly amount, payable also in hourly instalments, fixed by the collective bargaining agreement, with a minimum set by a decree of the Ministry of Labour — the law itself names no fixed euro figure. That allowance is excluded from the calculation of the year-end bonus, severance pay, and other pay-related entitlements, because the law expressly leaves it out; social security contributions, however, are still due, even when the amount falls below the usual minimum set for other pay.

The commitment to answer calls comes with a cost on the other side too. If the worker is sick or otherwise unable to work, they must notify the employer right away: the allowance doesn’t accrue for that period, and failing to notify costs 15 days of the allowance, unless the individual contract says otherwise. Turning down a call without a valid reason, once availability has been agreed, can lead to dismissal and requires repaying the allowance for the period following the refusal.

Practical example: Marco has a zero-hours contract with a standby obligation at a venue that opens only on weekends. In November, he’s called in for two shifts. His payslip shows pay for the two shifts he actually worked, plus the on-call allowance for every other day of the month when he stayed ready to answer without being called.

Mandatory Notice and Penalties

Every time the employer decides to call the worker in, they must first notify the relevant local labour office: reporting the length of the single call, or of a cycle of shifts spanning up to 30 days, by text message or email. This is confirmed both by Legislative Decree 81/2015 and by the websites of the Ministry of Labour and Cliclavoro, which point to the operating rules set by an interministerial decree of 27 March 2013, still in force.

Skipping the notice triggers an administrative fine of €400 to €2,400 for each worker it applies to, a fixed amount set by law.

Contributions, NASpI, and Losing the Job

A zero-hours contract doesn’t rule out NASpI unemployment benefit, but it does condition it. Under INPS Message no. 1162 of 16 March 2018, anyone receiving NASpI who signs an intermittent contract must report to INPS, within 30 days of applying, the expected yearly income from it, adding together hours worked and, where it applies, the on-call allowance. As long as that income stays under €8,000 a year, NASpI continues; anyone who misses the reporting deadline loses the right to the benefit.

NASpI is part of Italy’s welfare state, which also includes other social safety nets designed for people who lose their job or hold an irregular one.