UK employment law advice

Employment law is a topic which will affect most of us at some point in our lives, so it is important to have a good understanding of it. Essentially, employment law is the legal field which covers the relationship between employees and employers, including what your employers can expect from you and ask you to do, and the rights you have at work.

Your rights in the workplace may vary depending on your employment contract and the type of job you have, so it’s important to know which rights apply to you. This helps to ensure that you are not treated unfairly in your job and that you are aware of your options, should you encounter any problems in the workplace.

Employment rights

Employment rights can be found in acts of law, case law and in your contract of employment. There are also some rights that can derive through custom and practice. Understanding your employment rights, and knowing if they are being breached, is the best way to ensure that you are being treated fairly at work.

Our dedicated blog pages on employment rights explain:

• Your rights at work – the basics of employment law, explaining how employment rights work, as well as the different types of workers and how their rights can vary depending on job/employment type
• Health and safety – what your employer has to do to ensure a safe and healthy workplace, and your own responsibilities
• Time off work – including holiday pay and sick leave, and family-centred rights, such as advice on maternity and paternity leave

Problems at work

All sorts of issues can arise at work. There are a number of ways to deal with these problems, whether through an informal discussion with your employer, formal procedures put in place by your company, or even taking your case to an employment tribunal.

The information on our website can help you with:

• Dealing with problems at work – a general look at workplace disputes and your options for dealing with them
• What to do when work comes to an end – whether you’re leaving a job on good terms or bad, we have all the advice you need about dismissal, redundancy and retirement
• Discrimination – a guide to workplace discrimination, including how to recognise it, the different types of discrimination and what to do if you are being treated unfairly or being discriminated against at work.