When you’re becoming an employee, it is very important to know your rights. Whether you’ve never worked in the UK, or you just arrived in the country, it’s very important to understand the law and what you’re eligible to.
From the different employment statuses to work time regulations and sick pay, we created this article to help you find the current and up to date information.
There are a couple of different types of employment statuses, so it’s important to know which one you are in, as they vary significantly.
The minimum hourly rate you get paid varies depending on your age. However, if you are aged 23 or over, it’s the National Living Wage that applies instead. There are other factors that can influence your wage, for example if you are under an apprenticeship program.
For more information on the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage click here
As mentioned above, employees have several protections and basic rights which we’ve listed below. It is worth mentioning that full-time and part-time employees should have the same contractual rights.
It’s worth checking your employment contract as it may say you’re entitled to more or different rights to breaks from work.
Employers must provide a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) this is required by law and includes keeping the workplace clean, maintaining the equipment used and providing facilities such as toilets and wash basins.
Sick leave is when you take time off because you’re sick. You only need to provide proof of illness after you’ve taken 7 days off sick days. The minimum weekly rate for Statutory Sick is £95.85 for up to 28 weeks. Your employer may offer you more if they have a company sick pay scheme, but they can’t offer you less.
In the UK the Equality Act 2010 makes sure no employee has to work in an environment that is discriminating. If any colleague or employer discriminates you on the called “protected characteristics”, they are breaking the law. The protected characteristics are the following:
Harassment and discrimination can take many different forms. If you think you are being unfairly treated at work, you can contact the Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) or you can take a look at the gov.uk website for more information.
Check out our article on discrimination for more information here and our article on harassment here
Regardless of the contract type you have; you must receive a payslip. This is your right as an employee and your employer has to provide one. The payslip should be given before or on the day you get paid either on paper or online. It must show a detailed breakdown of your salary in a specific time period including any deductions. To know more about payslips check our article here
When an employer chooses to terminate an employment contract, they must give a lawful sustained reason for the termination. In addition to this, an employer must follow “procedure” during this process following the ethical and fair practices, as well as give you the agreed amount of notice which was defined in your contract. However, there are cases where the dismissal could be considered unfair.
A fair termination of contract occurs under one of the following reasons: