Employment Law in the UK: Your Rights at Work Explained

A plain-English guide to work law in the UK: employment status, your written statement, minimum wage, working hours and breaks, holiday, sick pay, family leave, flexible working, discrimination, dismissal, redundancy, notice periods and what to do when something goes wrong.

By Tony Musso on Sat Oct 24 2026

UK employment law sets a floor of rights that every employer has to respect. Your contract can give you more than the legal minimum, such as extra holiday or longer notice, but it can't give you less. Knowing where that floor sits helps you spot when something isn't right.

This is a plain-English overview of the main work laws in the UK for employees and workers. It covers England, Scotland and Wales, which share the same employment law; Northern Ireland has its own employment law, with some different rules. It's general information, not legal advice. The Employment Rights Act 2025 is also bringing in changes in stages, so check GOV.UK or Acas for the current position before you act.

Your employment status comes first

Which rights you have depends on your employment status. It's decided by how you actually work, not just by what your contract calls you.

Status	What it usually means	Main rights
Employee	Works under an employment contract, with set hours and duties, controlled by the employer	All the rights in this guide, though some need a minimum length of service
Worker	Has an arrangement to do work personally, but with more flexibility (for example some agency, casual or zero-hours work)	Core rights such as the minimum wage, paid holiday, rest breaks and protection from discrimination
Self-employed	Runs their own business, chooses how and when to work and can send someone else	Very few employment rights, as they're not employed

If you're unsure, GOV.UK and Acas can help.

Written statement from day one

Employees and workers are entitled to a written statement of employment particulars from their first day. It must set out the main terms, including your pay, hours, holiday, job title, start date and place of work, though some details can follow within two months. You're also entitled to an itemised payslip showing your pay and any deductions.

Minimum wage

Almost all workers are entitled to at least the National Minimum Wage. Workers aged 21 and over are entitled to the higher National Living Wage. The rates usually rise every April and differ by age, with a separate rate for apprentices, so check GOV.UK for this year's figures. Paying less is against the law, including through deductions that take your pay below the minimum.

Working time, breaks and rest

The Working Time Regulations set limits for most adult workers:

Weekly hours. You can't be made to work more than 48 hours a week on average, usually worked out over 17 weeks. You can choose to opt out of this limit in writing, and you can cancel the opt-out later by giving notice. You can't be sacked or treated badly for refusing to opt out.
Rest breaks. If you work more than six hours a day, you're entitled to an uninterrupted break of at least 20 minutes during the day. Whether it's paid depends on your contract.
Daily rest. At least 11 hours' rest between working days.
Weekly rest. At least 24 hours without work each week, or 48 hours each fortnight.

Under-18s have stronger protections. Our guides to working hours in the UK and rest breaks at work go into more detail.

Holiday

Almost all workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year. For someone working five days a week, that's 28 days. Employers can include the eight bank holidays in England and Wales within that, so check your contract. Part-time workers get the same 5.6 weeks, worked out in proportion to the days they work. For people with irregular hours or part-year contracts, holiday can be calculated as 12.07% of hours worked in each pay period, for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024.

Sick pay

If you're too ill to work, you may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from your employer, as long as you meet the eligibility rules. SSP is paid at a weekly rate that changes each year, and the Employment Rights Act 2025 changed the rules on when it starts and who qualifies, so check GOV.UK for current details. Your contract will say if your employer pays more generous company sick pay.

Family leave and time off

There are several types of leave for parents and carers. Eligibility and pay vary for each, so check GOV.UK for the details that apply to you.

Maternity leave. Up to 52 weeks for eligible employees, with statutory pay for part of it.
Paternity and adoption leave. For partners around a birth, and for adopting parents.
Shared parental leave. Lets parents share leave and pay in the first year.
Parental leave. Unpaid leave of up to 18 weeks per child, which can be taken before the child's 18th birthday.
Neonatal care leave. For parents whose newborn baby needs neonatal care.
Parental bereavement leave. For parents who lose a child under 18 or have a stillbirth.
Carer's leave. Up to one week of unpaid leave a year to arrange or give care to a dependant with a long-term care need.
Time off for dependants. A reasonable amount of unpaid time off to deal with an emergency involving someone who depends on you.

Flexible working

Since 6 April 2024, all employees can ask for flexible working from their first day in a job. That covers changes to your hours, times or place of work, such as part-time hours or working from home. You can make two requests in any 12-month period, and your employer must consult you before refusing and give you a decision within two months, unless you agree to more time. They can only refuse for one of the business reasons set out in law. Our flexible working request template shows how to make a clear request.

Protection from discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 protects you from discrimination, harassment and victimisation at work, including when you apply for a job. There's no minimum length of service. The law covers nine protected characteristics:

age
disability
gender reassignment
marriage and civil partnership
pregnancy and maternity
race
religion or belief
sex
sexual orientation

Employers must also make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants.

Employers must also check your right to work in the UK before you start.

Dismissal, redundancy and notice

Unfair dismissal. Employees generally need two years' continuous service before they can claim ordinary unfair dismissal. There are important exceptions where no qualifying period applies, such as dismissal for whistleblowing, pregnancy, asserting a statutory right or trade union activity. The Employment Rights Act 2025 changes the qualifying period, so check Acas or GOV.UK for the rule that applies on your dismissal date. Probation periods are common, and our probation review guide explains what to expect.

Redundancy pay. Employees with at least two years' continuous service are usually entitled to statutory redundancy pay. It's based on your age, weekly pay (up to a cap that's set each year) and length of service, up to 20 years: half a week's pay for each full year worked under age 22, one week's pay for each full year aged 22 to 40, and one and a half weeks' pay for each full year aged 41 or older.

Notice periods. Once you've worked for an employer for one month, the statutory minimum notice they must give you is:

Length of service	Minimum notice from employer
One month to under two years	One week
Two years up to 12 years	One week for each complete year
12 years or more	12 weeks

You must usually give at least one week's notice yourself. Your contract may set longer notice on either side.

When something goes wrong

If talking to your manager doesn't fix a problem, raise a formal grievance in writing. Employers should follow the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures, and you have the right to be accompanied at a formal grievance or disciplinary meeting by a colleague or a trade union representative. Our grievance letter template helps you set out the facts clearly.

If you want to take a claim to an employment tribunal, for most claims you must first notify Acas and go through early conciliation, a free service that tries to settle the dispute. Time limits for claims are short, so contact Acas early.

Need to put something in writing? Our letter templates cover grievances, flexible working requests, resignations and more.

See our work letter templates