Employment Law

Employment law is likely to have a profound impact on you throughout your life. It governs the employment of every employee and worker in the UK, and even if this doesn’t directly apply to you right now, it may apply to someone you depend on.

Fortunately, employment law is not something to be feared, as long as you know and understand it.

Who is protected by employment law?

Naturally, any worker or employee working in the UK is entitled to certain employment rights, and protected by employment law. The employment rights to which you are entitled are dependent on whether you are an employee or a worker – there is a legal distinction, as employees are generally entitled to more. Visit our Workers page to learn more.

However, employment law doesn’t work entirely in the favour of the employed. It can protect the rights of employers too – for example, employment legislation now prevents employees from bringing an unfair dismissal case against an employer in the first two years of their employment, unless the dismissal is believed to be the result of discrimination.

Basic Employment Rights

Employment rights are numerous, but a few of them are likely to have a more significant impact throughout your time of employment.

The National Minimum Wage is one of the most basic and most protected rights, establishing a minimum amount that employers must pay per hour to each of their employees, and ensuring that employers offer equal pay to all workers and employees.

Employment law also makes allowances to prevent employees from being made to work too many hours, while allowing willing employees to work more hours if they wish. Other employment rules give employees rights in redundancy situations, and ensure that they can be free to take part in union activities.

You may well have numerous other rights in your employment contract – for example, you may have been promised a greater holiday allowance than the amount allowed by law. Employment law also holds employers (and employees) responsible for living up to the terms established in the employment contract.

Browse on through our employment law section if you need to learn more, or if you need to speak to a lawyer, why not try Instant Law Line. At only £7.99 a month for unlimited legal advice, it's the quick and easy way to get your legal queries answered.

Important matters in employment law

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