Introduction
UK employment law offers some of the strongest worker protections in the world, but knowing your rights and actually enforcing them are two different things. Most people do not read their employment contract properly, do not know what the law entitles them to beyond the obvious, and only find out the details when something has already gone wrong.
This page explains the core rights every worker has, the main types of employment status, what to do when things go wrong, and where to go for enforcement. It covers England, Wales, and Scotland — Northern Ireland has its own employment law framework, though the principles are similar.
Employment Status
Your rights depend heavily on your employment status, and this is the first thing to establish. Employees have the fullest set of rights: protection against unfair dismissal after two years of service, statutory sick pay, maternity and paternity leave, redundancy pay, and the right to request flexible working. Workers — a broader category that includes casual and zero-hours staff — have rights to the National Minimum Wage, paid holiday, rest breaks, and protection from discrimination, but not unfair dismissal protection. Self-employed people have the fewest statutory protections but the most control over their work.
The gig economy has blurred these lines. Uber drivers, Deliveroo riders, and similar platform workers have fought high-profile legal battles over whether they are workers or genuinely self-employed. The Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that Uber drivers are workers, entitling them to minimum wage and holiday pay. If you work through an app or platform, it is worth checking whether recent tribunal decisions apply to your situation. ACAS offers free, confidential advice on status questions.
Core Employment Rights
Every worker is entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, which varies by age. As of April 2024, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £11.44 per hour. The 18-20 rate is £8.60, under-18 is £6.40, and apprentices get £6.40. HMRC enforces minimum wage compliance and runs a naming scheme for employers who break the rules.
Holiday entitlement for full-time workers is 5.6 weeks (28 days) including bank holidays. Part-time workers get a pro-rata amount. You accrue holiday from day one, and employers cannot pay you in lieu of taking statutory leave except when your employment ends. Holiday pay should reflect your normal pay, including regular overtime and commission — a principle established by several court rulings that many employers still get wrong.
Sick pay is one of the weaker areas of UK employment law. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is £116.75 per week for up to 28 weeks, and you only qualify if you earn at least £123 per week on average. Many employers offer contractual sick pay above SSP, but if yours does not, a period of illness can be financially very difficult. You can claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance alongside SSP if you need to.
Discrimination and Equal Treatment
The Equality Act 2010 protects against discrimination based on nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Protection starts from before you are hired — discriminatory job adverts and interview questions are unlawful.
Disability discrimination in particular has teeth. Employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and job applicants, and failing to do so is unlawful in itself. What counts as reasonable depends on the size of the employer, the cost of the adjustment, and how much it would disrupt the business. The Access to Work scheme can fund equipment, travel costs, and support workers to help disabled people do their jobs.
Equal pay law requires that men and women receive equal pay for equal work or work of equal value. Gender pay gap reporting is mandatory for employers with 250 or more employees, and the results are published publicly on the government website.
Ending Employment
Your employer cannot dismiss you without a fair reason — conduct, capability, redundancy, a legal restriction, or some other substantial reason. Even with a fair reason, they must follow a fair procedure. An unfair dismissal claim must normally be brought within three months of the dismissal date, and you need two years of continuous service unless the dismissal relates to discrimination, whistleblowing, or certain automatically unfair reasons like asserting a statutory right.
Redundancy entitles you to statutory redundancy pay if you have at least two years of service: half a week’s pay for each full year under 22, one week’s pay for each year between 22 and 40, and 1.5 weeks’ pay for each year over 41, capped at £643 per week (2024 figures). Your employer must consult collectively if making 20 or more redundancies within 90 days, with minimum consultation periods that increase with the number affected.
Settlement agreements — where you agree to waive your right to bring claims in exchange for compensation — require independent legal advice to be valid. Your employer typically contributes to your legal costs for this. Never sign one without a solicitor reviewing it.
Enforcing Your Rights
Start with ACAS Early Conciliation. Before you can bring most employment tribunal claims, you must notify ACAS and attempt conciliation. It is free, and many cases settle at this stage without needing a tribunal hearing. The three-month time limit for most claims still applies — ACAS can extend it slightly while conciliation is ongoing, but missing deadlines is the single most common reason valid claims fail.
Employment tribunals are less formal than courts and designed for people without legal representation. That said, employment law is complex, and having a solicitor or trade union representative makes a significant difference. Legal aid is not available for employment cases, but some solicitors take cases on a conditional fee arrangement, and trade union members get legal support through their union.
Whistleblowing protection covers workers who report wrongdoing in the public interest — things like criminal offences, health and safety breaches, or miscarriages of justice. The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 protects whistleblowers from dismissal or detriment, and you do not need two years of service to bring a claim.
Official Resources
- ACAS — Free, impartial employment advice and early conciliation
- GOV.UK Employment — Statutory rights, pay, and contracts
- National Minimum Wage — Current rates and reporting underpayment
- Equality and Human Rights Commission — Discrimination law guidance and enforcement
- Employment Tribunals — Making a claim and tribunal procedure
- Access to Work — Funding for disabled workers’ support needs
- Gender Pay Gap Reporting — Employer pay gap data
- Trades Union Congress — Union finder and workers’ rights campaigns
Official Contacts
UK: ACAS Helpline — 0300 123 1100. Website: https://www.acas.org.uk. HMRC Minimum Wage: 0300 200 3300
India: Labour Helpline — 1800 115 526 or 155214. Website: https://labour.gov.in
Email: ACAS: use online contact form. India Labour Ministry: labour-grievance@gov.in