All rights and responsibilities in the employer-employee relationship are covered by employment law, including those of present employees, past employees, and job candidates.
The laws and rights governing employees are a major topic of legal conflicts involving corporations. Due to the complex nature of employment relationships and the wide array of situations that may suddenly arise, employment law includes different legal issues that vary from:
- Discrimination
- Wrongful termination
- Wages
- Overtime
- Workplace Safety
Knowing your rights as an employee is essential to maintaining a productive workplace, whether you’re an employer, employee, or job seeker. While there are wage & hour lawyers who can help, it is better to be aware of your rights.
You ought to be issued a payslip
You should receive a payslip on the day you are paid, if not earlier. It must display a thorough breakdown of your pay for the pertinent time period, together with any deductions like tax and national insurance. Paystubs may be sent electronically or on paper by your employer. A pay slip should include:
- Total compensation both before and after deductions (i.e., gross and net compensation)
- Depending on how much you are paid, there are different variable deductions. Tax, National Insurance, student loan repayments, and pension contributions are a few examples of variable deductions.
- Recurring deductions. These can also be discussed in a separate statement, which needs to be distributed ahead of time and updated annually.
You can’ be subject to discrimination
Discrimination happens when someone experiences unfair treatment at work because of traits that are covered by the 2010 Equality Act.
These protected traits include:
- Age
- Disability
- Reassignment of gender
- Marriage or a civil union
- Maternity or pregnancy
- Race, religion, or philosophy
- Sex
- Sexual preference
- Direct or indirect discrimination is possible.
When the protected trait is the reason for the unequal treatment, direct discrimination has occurred. For instance, it would be direct discrimination if an employer cited a pregnant person’s morning sickness absence as justification for discipline based on their attendance history.
Safety and health laws are applicable to your work environment
Employers are required to give their workers a safe and healthy workplace by the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974.
This involves providing amenities like restrooms, sinks, and clean drinking water, maintaining the workspace’s cleanliness, ventilation, and lighting, and upkeep of any equipment used.
You can request flexible working conditions
Employees have the right to seek flexible working (also known as making a statutory application) if they have worked consistently for the same employer for at least 26 weeks. This application is only available once a year.
To make the request, you must write to your employer and include the following details:
- The date
- A statement mentioning that it is a statutory request
- When you wish to start
- Details of how flexible you want your job to be
- Discussion of how this flexibility could affect the business
Make a list of your employee’s rights so that you can recognize when they aren’t being upheld. Consider speaking with an employment lawyer who will be able to give you more guidance if you do require legal counsel.
