The UK is a country that places huge importance on its laws and has done so for most of its history. Therefore you will find that, once you gain permission to legally work in the UK, you will have the same rights as every other worker.

These rights are enshrined in British employment law as well as the European Human Rights Act.

EEA Citizens

First it is necessary to be clear that if you are an EEA citizen you are automatically entitled to the same rights as a British citizen, unless you come form one of the ‘A8’ countries (a European country that acceded to the EU in 2004 or after) in which case please refer to our section ‘Registration’.

If alternatively you come from outside of the EEA then you are not automatically entitled to live and work in the UK unless you follow the correct immigration procedures.

However once you have been given permission to work in the UK you should expect to be paid and treated the same as your indigenous colleagues. If you are not then you should think about looking for a new job, but not before taking some legal advice if you feel that you are being unfairly treated.

Employment Rights Act 1996: 

As an employee in the UK you are entitled to the following under the Employment Rights Act 1996:

• The right to a statement of your employment particulars – including hours, pay, job description, start date, holiday entitlement, pay frequency and name and address of employer.
• The right to an itemised pay statement
• The right to protection of wages – the right not to suffer unauthorised deductions
• The right to guaranteed payment
• The right to protection from suffering detriment in employment
• The right to maternity/paternity leave
• The right not to be unfairly dismissed
• The right to redundancy payment

This is just a synopsis of the main points but you can read the whole document at the Office of Public Information or online.

You basically have the right to be treated fairly by your employer, not to be bullied or harassed, paid on time with a printed statement and to work in a safe environment. If you at anytime feel that your rights are being broken by your employer, and they refuse to remedy the issue, you should take some proffessional legal advice.

The National Minimum Wage 

Gaining a work permit will also give you the right to the minimum wage which is from October 2010 £5.93 for adults (over 22 years of age) £4.92 if aged between 18 – 21 and £3.64 if you are under 18. It is illegal for an employer to pay below the national minimum wage.

Illegal workers 

Every year people attempt to enter the UK illegally in order to find work. These people are often exploited by ruthless criminals who force them to work long hours for very little money, often making huge deductions from their meagre pay for rent and food which often results in illegal workers actually owing money to their employers, after having worked a long and gruelling day.

Working illegally in the UK benefits organized crime, causes exploitation and harms resident workers at the bottom end of the pay scale, which in turn causes tension between communities. If you are thinking of entering the UK to look for work without permission stop for a minute and think about it carefully; then don’t do it.

By John Hillman

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USEFUL WORDS

work legally = to work as allowed by law
permission = allowing somebody to do something
employment law
immigration procedures
equal / fair treatment = acceptable/appropriate behaviour towards others
take legal advice = talk to a lawyer/solicitor
redundancy = when you have to leave your job because there is no more work available for you
bullying / harassment = frighten or hurt a weaker person
minimum wage = the minimum amount of money per hour an employer can legally pay you

Employment Law & Human Resources
Key Words

blue collar = someone who works in a manual job or in a job on the factory floor
grade = the level of a job within the structure of a company’s workforce
part time = when you work only part of the standard working week
supervisor = someone in charge of several other (usually blue-collar) workers
shift = a system of working where one group of workers starts work as soon as the other group finishes
notice = advance information
day off = a day when you do not go to work
entitlement = your rights (e.g. to holidays)
subordinate = someone who is below you in the organisation
superior = someone who is above you in an organisation
leave = holiday or permission to be away from work
duties = the different parts of the job that you will have to do
holiday / vacation = a period of time when you do not have to go to work
maternity = a type of leave that women take when they have a baby
manpower = the total of all people who work in the company