Your rights at work

In the UK almost everyone in any kind of work is entitled to basic working rights. However, there are exceptions (for instance, not everyone is entitled to the National Minimum Wage), so please explore the information we link to carefully.

 

Your basic working rights

 

• The National Minimum Wage – a minimum amount per hour that most workers are entitled to be paid (remember to check if you are eligible). For information about pay during internships and placements, visit our page about paid and unpaid work experience.
• Working time rights – covers how long you can work in a week, how often you should be allowed short breaks from work and how much time off you should get each year.
• Health and safety protection – your entitlement to work in an environment where risks to your health and safety are assessed and controlled.
• The right to join a union – unions aim to protect and advance the interests of their members in the workplace. There is legislation against discrimination on the grounds that you join, or decide not to join, a union.
• Protection from unlawful discrimination - employment law provides protection for workers against discrimination at work on the grounds of sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race and disability.

 

Additional rights

 

If you are employed under a contract of employment then you gain additional rights, but these do not come into effect until you have worked for a specific length of time. For example, the following entitlements come into effect gradually over the first two years of your employment:

• Maternity leave or emergency leave (e.g. because of a family emergency)
• Statutory sick pay (if you pay National Insurance)
• Equal pay to members of the opposite sex doing a comparable job
• Advance notice if you are to be dismissed
• A written statement of your terms of employment
• Redundancy pay

Further advice

 

You should always seek specific advice if you are unsure of your rights in a particular situation. Initially, seek advice from the Students Union Student Advice & Representation Centre (in the Portland Building, University Park). Advice can also be sought from the Citizens Advice Bureau, or from a solicitor.