A guide to UK employment law

If you want to work in the UK, you must follow it's employment laws. Read the rules and guidelines below which will help you to accept offers of employment from UK based companies.

Ability to work in the UK

To work in the UK, you must be able to prove that you are a legal UK citizen. Following a successful interview, you will be invited to take up employment with your chosen company. Within UK law, work can only be undertaken when you have proven to your new employer that you are a permanent UK resident by providing them with certain documents. Documents Usually they require evidence of your National Insurance number, passport, birth certificate or Full UK driving licence and a utility for the home you live in. If you are taken on in a company without these documents, they are breaking the law and could face repercussions if they are found to have employed someone unfit to work in the UK.

Contributions

As a UK employee, you are expected to pay certain contributions. Everyone pays national insurance, so that they can enjoy the benefits of the NHS and depending on how much you earn you may also pay tax contributions, these vary with your salary. Visit your company's director Visit your company's director of HR for advice and support on whether you are being correctly taxed. Even though you have to pay a certain amount of tax, there is no reason why you should pay too much. Your HR department can check to see if you actually owed a tax rebate at the end of the financial year.

Time off

Under UK labour laws, you are entitled to a certain amount of paid time off. Depending on where you work, you may be entitled to paid sick leave and paid bank holidays. You may even be offered paid training days. Leave
HR can settle issues relating to your absences from work. Everyone is entitled to maternity leave and now under paternity law, fathers are also entitled to paid time off with their new families. However, you shouldn't expect to be paid for extended time off work.

If you can't find work

If you find yourself out of work, due to prolonged illness, redundancy, contract termination or if you are a school leaver without transferable skills you may be eligible for government help. Contact Contact your local job centre to see if you are qualified for any monetary help. Jobseekers direct jobs centres to help people get back into work and also provide money to those in need via tax credits, incapacity payments and unemployment benefits. They can also offer you tax and work advice. For more law information and law help and advice, please visit the inland revenue's website.