Know Your Rights: A Guide for UK Employees
Understanding your fundamental rights at work is the first step to ensuring you are treated fairly and with respect. This guide provides an overview of the key protections you are entitled to under UK law.
Contracts, Pay & Wages
Your employment contract is a legal agreement. You have the right to receive a written statement of your main terms and conditions on your first day of employment.
Minimum Wage: As of April 2025, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.21 per hour. Different rates apply to younger workers.
Payslips: You have the right to an itemised payslip that clearly shows your earnings and any deductions.
Unlawful Deductions: Your employer cannot deduct money from your pay unless it is required by law (like tax), is set out in your contract, or you have given your prior written consent.
Working Hours, Breaks & Holidays
The law protects you from working excessive hours and ensures you get adequate rest.
Working Hours: You cannot usually be forced to work more than an average of 48 hours per week, unless you have voluntarily chosen to opt out in writing.
Rest Breaks: If your working day is longer than six hours, you are entitled to an uninterrupted rest break of at least 20 minutes.
Paid Holiday: You are legally entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. For a full-time employee, this is 28 days.
Fair Treatment & Discrimination
You have a fundamental right to be treated with dignity and respect. The Equality Act 2010 gives you specific protection from being treated unfairly because of who you are. These are known as "protected characteristics":
Age
Disability
Gender Reassignment
Marriage and Civil Partnership
Pregnancy and Maternity
Race
Religion or Belief
Sex
Sexual Orientation
This legal protection covers all aspects of work, including recruitment, promotion, pay, and dismissal.
Unsure about your situation? [Use our "Was I Discriminated Against?" checker]
Need to take action? [Read our detailed guide on Discrimination at Work]
Health, Safety & Duty of Care
Your employer has a legal duty of care to take all reasonable steps to protect your physical and mental wellbeing at work. This includes conducting risk assessments and protecting staff from harassment, bullying, and unsafe working conditions.
Health, Sickness & Family Leave
The law provides specific rights to support you with family and health needs.
Sick Pay: If you are eligible, you are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), which from April 2025 is £118.75 per week for up to 28 weeks.
Family Leave: You have statutory rights to leave and pay for maternity, paternity, adoption, and parental bereavement.
Flexible Working: You have the legal right to request flexible working arrangements from day one of your employment.
Problems at Work
If you have a problem, you have the right to have it formally and fairly addressed.
Raising a Grievance: You have the right to raise a formal grievance with your employer and have it properly investigated.
Being Accompanied: You have a statutory right to be accompanied by a colleague or a trade union representative at any formal grievance or disciplinary meeting.
Ready to act? [Go to our Letter & Grievance Builder]
Leaving Your Job
Your rights are protected when your employment ends.
Notice Period: You have the right to receive at least the statutory minimum notice period if you are dismissed. After two years of service, this is one week for every full year you have worked (up to a maximum of 12 weeks).
Unfair Dismissal: After two years of service, you are protected from being dismissed without a fair reason and without a fair process.
Redundancy: If you are made redundant, you may be entitled to a statutory redundancy payment if you have over two years of service.
Navigating your exit? [Read our guide on Negotiating Settlement Agreements]
Considering a claim? [Get prepared with our Employment Tribunal Toolkit]