Know your rights at work — from your first day to your last
Pay, time off, dismissal, and discrimination — the issues most likely to land in an Employment Tribunal. This hub explains the Working Time Regulations, holiday pay (including the 12.07% method), Statutory Sick Pay, statutory maternity / paternity / shared parental and adoption leave, the new Carer's Leave Act 2023 right, redundancy, unfair and constructive dismissal, settlement agreements and TUPE, the four discrimination Acts, whistleblowing, and the gig-economy worker-status case law. Each guide covers the rule, the deadlines, and how to bring a claim through ACAS Early Conciliation and the Employment Tribunal.
53 guides in this section
Popular guides
View all 53National Minimum & Living Wage
Current rates, who qualifies, and how to report an underpayment to HMRC.
Holiday Entitlement
Statutory paid holiday, how it is calculated for part-time and irregular workers, and payment on termination.
Unfair Dismissal
The qualifying period, fair reasons for dismissal, and how to bring an unfair dismissal claim.
Redundancy & Redundancy Pay
Your rights when facing redundancy, statutory redundancy pay, and the correct process employers must follow.
Disciplinary Meetings
Your rights in a disciplinary process at work, the right to be accompanied, and how to appeal.
Maternity, Paternity & Parental Leave
Rights to leave and pay when you have or adopt a child, including shared parental leave.
Step-by-step guides
Follow a guided process from start to finish for common situations.
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All guides in this section
National Minimum & Living Wage
Current rates, who qualifies, and how to report an underpayment to HMRC.
Holiday Entitlement
Statutory paid holiday, how it is calculated for part-time and irregular workers, and payment on termination.
Unfair Dismissal
The qualifying period, fair reasons for dismissal, and how to bring an unfair dismissal claim.
Redundancy & Redundancy Pay
Your rights when facing redundancy, statutory redundancy pay, and the correct process employers must follow.
Disciplinary Meetings
Your rights in a disciplinary process at work, the right to be accompanied, and how to appeal.
Maternity, Paternity & Parental Leave
Rights to leave and pay when you have or adopt a child, including shared parental leave.
Sick Pay & Fit Notes
Statutory Sick Pay, employer sick pay, fit notes from your GP, and returning to work after illness.
Zero-Hours Contracts
Rights for workers on zero-hours contracts, including rest breaks, pay, and holiday accrual.
Whistleblowing & Protected Disclosures
Legal protections for reporting wrongdoing at work and what counts as a protected disclosure.
Raising a Grievance
How to raise a formal grievance with your employer and what the ACAS Code of Practice requires.
Employment Tribunal Claims
Step-by-step guide to bringing a claim, time limits, fees, and what to expect.
Employment Tribunal Compensation
How awards are calculated — the age-banded basic award, the capped compensatory award, Vento injury-to-feelings bands, and Polkey and Acas adjustments.
Constructive Dismissal
When a forced resignation amounts to a dismissal in law and how to pursue a claim.
Agency Workers Rights
Equal treatment rights after 12 weeks and other protections for temporary agency staff.
TUPE Transfers
Your rights when a business is sold or a service is outsourced under TUPE regulations.
Probation Periods
Your rights during a probationary period and what an employer must do before dismissing you on probation.
Workplace Bullying & Harassment
How to recognise bullying and harassment at work and the steps to take to address it formally.
Pay Disputes
How to challenge incorrect pay, unlawful deductions, or underpayment of wages through proper channels.
Working Time Regulations
The 48-hour weekly limit, holiday rights, and rest entitlements under the Working Time Regulations 1998.
Rest Breaks at Work
Your legal right to rest breaks during and between working days and what counts as adequate rest.
Night Work Rights
Protections for night workers including health assessments, limits on hours, and rest entitlements.
Wrongful Dismissal
The difference between wrongful and unfair dismissal and how to claim for breach of your employment contract.
Settlement Agreements
What a settlement agreement is, what you give up by signing one, and why you need independent legal advice.
Garden Leave
What garden leave means, how long it can last, and your rights and obligations during the period.
Restrictive Covenants
How post-termination restrictions in employment contracts work and when they can be challenged.
Workplace Discrimination
Recognising and challenging direct and indirect discrimination at work under the Equality Act 2010.
Equal Pay
Your right to equal pay for equal work regardless of gender and how to bring an equal pay claim.
Pregnancy & Maternity Discrimination
Legal protections against unfair treatment because of pregnancy or maternity and how to enforce them.
Disability at Work
Employer duties to make reasonable adjustments and your rights if you have a disability or long-term condition.
Trade Union Rights
Your right to join a union, union recognition, and protection from detriment for trade union activities.
Redundancy Pay Calculation
How statutory redundancy pay is calculated based on age, length of service, and weekly pay.
Time Off for Dependants
Your right to emergency unpaid time off to deal with unexpected situations involving a dependant.
Shared Parental Leave
How parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay after having or adopting a child.
Adoption Leave & Pay
Statutory adoption leave and pay rights for employees who adopt a child.
Employee vs Worker Status
Understanding the legal distinction between employees, workers, and self-employed and why it matters.
Collective Redundancy
Consultation rules when 20 or more employees face redundancy.
Employment Tribunal Fees
Current fees, fee remission, and cost orders at tribunal.
Neonatal Care Leave
New day-one right to up to 12 weeks neonatal care leave.
Fire and Rehire
The 2024 Statutory Code on dismissal and re-engagement, the 25% Tribunal uplift, protective awards, and what to do if you are threatened with it.
Carer's Leave (1 week unpaid)
Day-one statutory right under the Carer's Leave Act 2023 — eligibility, notice, and what to do if refused.
Worker Protection Act 2023
Employer duty (from 26 October 2024) to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, plus the 25% tribunal compensation uplift.
Flexible Working: Day-One Right (2024 reforms)
Day-one right to request flexible working from 6 April 2024; two requests per year; two-month employer response window; mandatory consultation.
Settlement Agreements: Protections and Tax
Section 203 ERA 1996 requirements, section 111A pre-termination protection, the £30,000 tax-free cap, and negotiation tactics.
Holiday Pay Back Claims
Bear Scotland v Fulton, Harpur Trust v Brazel, and the 2024 changes for irregular-hours workers under the WTR 1998.
Tribunal Evidence Rules
Disclosure obligations, witness statement preparation, hearing bundles, and how to use Subject Access Requests strategically.
Notice Periods at Work
Understand minimum legal notice periods in the UK, what happens if notice is not given, and your rights around garden leave and payment in lieu of.
Final Pay and Deductions
Understand what should be in your final pay packet when you leave a job, including notice pay, accrued holiday, and whether your employer can make.
Flexible Working Requests
From April 2024 all employees can request flexible working from day one. Find out how the new rules work and what to do if your request is refused.
Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay
Your rights to statutory parental bereavement leave and pay under Jack's Law — who qualifies, the leave and pay due, the 56-day window, and how to.
Menopause in the Workplace
How the Equality Act 2010 protects menopausal workers from discrimination — reasonable adjustments, workplace policy best practice, and key tribunal.
Long Covid as a Disability at Work
When Long Covid meets the Equality Act 2010 disability definition — reasonable adjustments, fit notes, phased return to work, Access to Work, and PIP.
Gig Economy and Platform Worker Rights
Worker status in the gig economy — the Uber v Aslam Supreme Court ruling, the personal service and control tests, and minimum wage and holiday pay.
Acas Early Conciliation
Before an employment tribunal claim you must notify Acas and go through Early Conciliation. How it works, how it pauses your time limit, and what if.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to make an Employment Tribunal claim?
Do I need to be an employee to have employment rights?
Can I be dismissed while on sick leave?
What is the qualifying period for unfair dismissal?
My employer owes me wages — what can I do?
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