Employment Rights & Workplace Law

Employment Rights & Workplace Law

Every worker in the UK is entitled to certain basic rights — from being paid at least the National Minimum Wage to working in a safe environment, taking paid holiday, and not being unfairly dismissed. This guide explains your key employment rights, how to enforce them, and where to get free, expert help — with official department names, helplines, and direct website links.

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ACAS — Free Employment Advice & Early Conciliation

Acas is the UK’s independent public body that provides free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules, and best practice. Their helpline advisers can talk you through any work-related issue — from pay disputes to discrimination, redundancy, and contracts. Acas also provides Early Conciliation, a free service that must be attempted before making most claims to an employment tribunal.

When to Contact Acas

• Your employer is not paying you correctly or has made unauthorised deductions
• You believe you are being discriminated against on grounds of protected characteristics
• You have been dismissed and believe it was unfair or wrongful
• You have a dispute about your employment contract, holiday pay, or working hours
• You need to start Early Conciliation before an employment tribunal
• You are an employer seeking guidance on how to handle a workplace dispute lawfully

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National Minimum Wage & Living Wage

Almost all workers in the UK are legally entitled to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage. Employers who fail to pay the minimum wage face enforcement action from HMRC, including fines of up to 200% of the underpayment (minimum £100 per affected worker, maximum £20,000 per worker), public naming, and potential criminal prosecution. HMRC can recover underpayments going back up to 6 years.

Current Minimum Wage Rates (April 2026)

Category	Hourly Rate	Who It Applies To
National Living Wage	£12.21	Workers aged 21 and over
18–20 Year Old Rate	£10.00	Workers aged 18 to 20
Under 18 Rate	£7.55	Workers aged 16 to 17
Apprentice Rate	£6.40	Apprentices under 19, or 19+ in first year of apprenticeship
Accommodation Offset	£10.66/day	Maximum daily deduction for employer-provided accommodation

How to Report Underpayment

1. Check if you are being underpaid using the Check Your Pay tool on GOV.UK.
2. Speak to your employer first if you feel safe doing so — many underpayments are unintentional.
3. Contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 for free confidential advice about your situation.
4. Report to HMRC via the online complaints form at www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage. You can remain anonymous from your employer — HMRC does not reveal who made the complaint.
5. HMRC investigates all complaints and will look into the pay of all staff at the location, not just yours.

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Employment Tribunals — Making a Claim

An Employment Tribunal is an independent judicial body that resolves disputes between employers and employees. You can make a claim about issues including unfair dismissal, discrimination, unlawful deduction from wages, redundancy pay, breach of contract, and whistleblowing. From October 2026, the time limit for making a tribunal claim will extend from 3 months to 6 months under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

The Tribunal Process — Step by Step

1. Contact Acas Early Conciliation: You must notify Acas before making a tribunal claim (for most types). Acas will try to help both sides reach a settlement without going to court. This is free and, if it works, avoids the stress and cost of a tribunal.
2. Receive your Early Conciliation certificate: If conciliation does not resolve the dispute, Acas issues a certificate with a unique reference number. You need this to start your claim.
3. Submit the ET1 claim form: File online at the Employment Tribunal service. Be specific about your claim, the events, dates, and what remedy you seek. This must be done within the time limit.
4. Employer responds (ET3): Your employer has 28 days to respond to the claim.
5. Preliminary hearing: A judge may hold a preliminary hearing to clarify issues, set deadlines, and identify witnesses.
6. Final hearing: Both sides present evidence and witnesses. A judgment is either given on the day or sent in writing later.

Employment Rights Act 2025 — What’s Changing

• Unfair dismissal from day one: From January 2027, the two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims will be removed for most workers.
• Extended time limits: From October 2026, tribunal claim time limits extend from 3 months to 6 months.
• Flexible working by default: Flexible working becomes the default — employers must accommodate requests unless they can justify refusal.
• New Fair Work Agency: A single enforcement body merging HMRC minimum wage enforcement, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate.

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Statutory Rights at Work

Working Time Regulations

• Maximum 48-hour working week (averaged over 17 weeks), unless you opt out in writing.
• Rest breaks: 20-minute uninterrupted rest break if the working day exceeds 6 hours.
• Daily rest: 11 consecutive hours of rest in every 24-hour period.
• Weekly rest: 24 consecutive hours in every 7-day period (or 48 hours in every 14-day period).

Holiday Entitlement

• Statutory minimum: 5.6 weeks (28 days for full-time workers), including bank holidays.
• Part-time workers: pro-rata entitlement.
• Holiday pay must be paid at your normal rate of pay.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

• £116.75 per week (2026/27) for up to 28 weeks.
• Qualify if you are employed, earn at least £123 per week, and have been sick for 4 or more consecutive days (including non-working days).
• Some employers offer contractual sick pay above the statutory minimum.

Maternity, Paternity & Parental Leave

• Statutory Maternity Leave: 52 weeks (26 weeks Ordinary + 26 weeks Additional).
• Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP): 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £184.03 per week or 90% (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks.
• Statutory Paternity Leave: Up to 2 weeks, paid at £184.03 or 90% of average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).
• Shared Parental Leave: Parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay.

Redundancy Rights

• Statutory Redundancy Pay: Based on age, length of service, and weekly pay (capped at £700 per week for 2026/27 — check current cap).
• Half a week’s pay for each full year of service under age 22.
• One week’s pay for each full year aged 22–40.
• One and a half weeks’ pay for each full year aged 41 or over.
• Maximum 20 years of service counted.
• Employers must follow a fair redundancy process (consultation, selection criteria, notice).

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Discrimination & Protected Characteristics

Under the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful to discriminate against an employee or job applicant because of any of the nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Discrimination can be direct, indirect, by association, by perception, harassment, or victimisation. If you experience workplace discrimination, contact Acas on 0300 123 1100 or the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) on 0808 800 0082.

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Summary: Key Employment Rights Contacts

Service	Contact	Availability
Acas Helpline	📞 0300 123 1100	Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm
HMRC Pay & Work Rights	🌐 gov.uk/national-minimum-wage	Online 24/7
Employment Tribunal (England & Wales)	📞 0300 123 1024	Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5pm
Employment Tribunal (Scotland)	📞 0300 790 6234	Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5pm
Submit Tribunal Claim	🌐 gov.uk/employment-tribunals	Online 24/7
Equality Advisory Support (EASS)	📞 0808 800 0082	Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 10am–2pm
Health & Safety Executive (HSE)	📞 0300 003 1647	Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5pm
Check Your Pay (NMW)	🌐 checkyourpay.campaign.gov.uk	Online 24/7

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Essential Tips for Workers

1. Get your employment contract in writing — you are legally entitled to a written statement of employment particulars by your first day of work (as of April 2020). Review it carefully.
2. Keep your own records — save payslips, emails about hours, rotas, and any correspondence with your employer. This is critical evidence if a dispute arises.
3. Know your minimum wage rate — check your pay against the current rates every April when they change. Watch out for deductions that could bring your effective pay below the minimum.
4. Act quickly on tribunal claims — the time limit is currently 3 months minus one day from the incident (extending to 6 months from October 2026). Early conciliation with Acas pauses the clock.
5. You cannot be dismissed for asserting a statutory right — if you are fired for demanding the minimum wage, taking maternity leave, or raising a health and safety concern, this is automatically unfair dismissal and you can take your employer to a tribunal.
6. Join a trade union — union members receive legal advice, representation, and collective bargaining support. Use the TUC website to find a suitable union.

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This guide is part of the GOTOSHARP Information Hub — 32 essential articles covering UK public services, legal rights, financial literacy, and everyday life support for UK residents. Last updated: June 2026. Employment law changes frequently — always verify current regulations on www.acas.org.uk or GOV.UK Employment. The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces significant changes through 2026 and 2027 — check Acas for the latest implementation timeline.