5 Employment Rights You Need To Be Aware Of

If you are employed, then you are probably aware that you have certain employment rights whilst at work. These rights must be upheld by employers and there are penalties for employers who deny their workers these rights. See how you are affected.

1. Minimum Wage

The minimum wage in the UK applies to almost all workers, and is not dependent on industry or the size of the company that you work for. There is a different rate for those over the age of 22, those aged 18-21 and for those older than school leaving age, but younger than 18. There are some circumstances where the minimum wage doesn’t apply, but for the vast majority of workers the minimum wage is applicable.

2. Flexible Working Hours

Most employers agree that it makes business sense to allow employees to work flexible hours. This could be to facilitate childcare or caring for another family member, or for when working at home would be more productive. There are different ways of implementing flexible working hours, such as job sharing, staggering hours during the day, covering core times, agreeing a set number of hours per week which could be worked either a few hours a day, or more hours over fewer days. If you think that you could benefit from flexible working hours, why not ask your line manager to consider it?

3. Contract of Employment

All employees have a contract of employment, even though it may not be in writing. Members of staff are entitled to a written statement of the main points of the contract within 2 months of starting. Contracts can be changed, and notice of termination can be given by both the employee and the employer. If the employee breaks the terms of their contract, depending on the severity of the offence, there could be a warning, or the contract could be terminated leading to dismissal.

4. Discrimination in the Workplace

There are many different sorts of discrimination in the workplace. For example, some terms and expressions that were previously in common use, are now seen as derogatory and offensive and so can't be used; people can’t get paid more or less due to their gender or sexual orientation; and employees can’t be picked on because of their country of origin, or their colour.

Discrimination including sexual discrimination, equal pay, age discrimination, racial and religious discrimination, and bullying is not tolerated, and should be reported to line managers or the HR department if it occurs. If the discrimination still occurs, then there are services, perhaps through a trade union, that can help.

5. Workplace Disputes

Workplace disputes happen for various reasons, and can range from a simple misunderstanding, to something quite serious. Is your employer breaking the law, or discriminating against you, or can you not take a holiday when you want to? If normal channels of communication have been exhausted and have not worked, the next step would be a formal grievance complaint.

Now you know what you are entitled to, and what to do if there are problems in the workplace, you know your responsibilities as an employer, and as an employee you don’t need to suffer in silence. If you can’t talk to somebody within your company, why not speak to an expert outside of your company?

Find out more about Employment Rights and how joining the Unite Trade Union could help you, why not visit TGWU.org.uk