What Are The Rights Of An Employee?

The exact rights at a workplace will ultimately derive from a combination of statutory rights and the employment contract.

Statutory rights are legal rights that almost every worker is entitled to, including:

• being paid at least the National Minimum Wage;
• receiving a written statement setting out the main terms and conditions of employment, including job title, expected hours of work, monthly wages, paid holiday and sick leave entitlements, details of any applicable pension scheme, the minimum notice period, disciplinary processes, and the procedure for reporting a grievance;
• receiving an itemised payslip;
• not having illegal deductions taken from wages;
• not be discriminated against in the workplace, including on grounds of age, disability, sex, race, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs;
• receiving daily and weekly rest breaks;
• not being required to work more than an average of 48 hours a week unless agreed in writing;
• a certain amount of paid holiday each year;
• the right to submit a request for flexible working hours. The employee can make one request to work flexibly each year;
• compensation for unfair dismissal.

Some of these rights apply from day one, and some only apply after an employee has worked for the same employer for a period of time. More information is available in the By Lawyers Employment guide.