Employment rights in the UK — what you're entitled to

In short

• From April 2026 the National Living Wage for people aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour. Lower rates apply to younger workers and apprentices.
• You're entitled to a payslip on or before payday, written terms of employment and 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year (pro rata to the hours you work).
• From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is paid from the first day of sickness, with no earnings threshold.
• If your employer doesn't pay you, you can call Acas (0300 123 1100, including in Polish through free interpreting) or report it to HMRC.
• Some Employment Rights Act changes are already in force and some are still to come, such as a shorter qualifying period for protection from unfair dismissal from 1 January 2027.

Minimum wage

The minimum wage depends on your age. Rates from 1 April 2026 (as of October 2026, check the current figure: GOV.UK):

• 21 and over (National Living Wage): £12.71 an hour
• 18–20: £10.85
• under 18: £8.00
• apprentice: £8.00

The apprentice rate applies to apprentices under 19 and to older apprentices in the first year of their apprenticeship. After that, the rate for their age applies.

The minimum wage applies to all the hours you work, including any that weren't on the rota. If you suspect you're being paid less, work out your hourly rate from your payslips and the hours you've worked.

Payslips

Your employer must give you a payslip on or before payday. According to GOV.UK, it must show:

• your earnings before and after deductions,
• deductions that vary each pay period, such as tax and National Insurance,
• the number of hours worked, if your pay depends on the time you work.

Fixed deductions (such as repaying a season ticket loan) must be explained on the payslip or in a separate statement. Employees and ‘workers’ are entitled to payslips. This doesn't apply to genuine freelancers and contractors.

Keep your payslips. You'll need them when renting, applying for credit, checking your tax code and in disputes over pay.

Your contract and written statement

An employment contract doesn't have to be written down: it exists as soon as you accept a job offer. However, your employer must give you a written statement of employment particulars:

• on your first day: the names of the parties, a job description, your start date, how much and how often you're paid, your working hours and days, holiday entitlement, place of work, probation period, other benefits and compulsory training,
• within 2 months: information on pensions, collective agreements, and disciplinary and grievance procedures, among other things,
• changes to your terms: within a month of them taking effect.

The rules on sick pay, other paid leave and notice periods must also be given to you from day one, but they can be in a separate document that you can access.

Working hours and rest

• On average you can't work more than 48 hours a week, normally averaged over 17 weeks. Under-18s: a maximum of 8 hours a day and 40 a week.
• You can choose to opt out of the limit, but only in writing and only if you're 18 or over. Refusing to sign can't be a reason for dismissal or worse treatment. You can cancel your opt-out by giving at least 7 days' notice (your contract may require up to 3 months).
• Some jobs are exempt (for example, road transport, the emergency services and work at sea).
• If you work more than 6 hours, you're entitled to an uninterrupted 20-minute break, 11 hours' rest between working days, and 24 hours off every week (or 48 hours every fortnight).

Holiday

Almost every employee and ‘worker’, including agency workers and those on irregular hours, is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, up to a maximum of 28 days. Your employer can include bank holidays in this entitlement, but doesn't have to.

• Part-time with fixed hours: 5.6 weeks pro rata to your working week. For 3 days a week, that's at least 16.8 days.
• Irregular hours and part-year work: holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours worked in each pay period. An example from GOV.UK: 30 hours in a week gives about 3.62 hours of holiday, rounded up to 4. This method is compulsory for leave years starting after 31 March 2024.
• Your employer can give you more than the legal minimum.

Before you leave a job, check the rules on untaken holiday on GOV.UK.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

Statutory Sick Pay is paid by your employer. From 6 April 2026 (a change under the Employment Rights Act), the Lower Earnings Limit and the waiting days, the unpaid days at the start of an illness, were abolished.

• Rate: £123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower (as of October 2026, check the current figure: GOV.UK).
• Paid for up to 28 weeks, for the full days you would normally have worked.
• You must be an employee, be working for an employer and be unable to work for at least one full working day.
• Report your illness by your employer's deadline (if there isn't one: within 7 days). After more than 7 days in a row you need a fit note from a doctor, although your employer may accept other evidence.

Your employer may have its own, more generous sick pay scheme. If there's a dispute over your status (employee or worker), get it clarified with Acas.

Zero-hours contracts and employment agencies

A zero-hours contract doesn't guarantee any hours, but you still have your statutory rights: the minimum wage, holiday and others. Your employer can't stop you working elsewhere (exclusivity clauses are banned in zero-hours contracts). The planned new rights, namely guaranteed hours, reasonable notice of shift changes and payment for cancelled shifts, are not in force yet. The government points to 2027, with the dates still to be confirmed.

Working through an agency:

• From day one you have ‘worker’ rights and access to shared facilities (canteen, car park, transport).
• After 12 weeks with the same hirer you're entitled to equal treatment, including the same pay as a permanent employee doing the same job, automatic enrolment in a pension scheme and paid holiday. The 12-week clock pauses for holiday, sick leave (up to 28 weeks) and breaks of up to 6 weeks, among other things. It starts again if you change job, after a longer break at the same place or if you move to a substantially different role.
• The agency must give you written terms and a key information document about pay and deductions before offering you work.
• The agency can't refuse to pay you just because the client is unhappy with your work.

Regulation of umbrella companies has been announced for 2027, with no specific date.

Dismissal and notice

The statutory minimum notice your employer must give you: one week after a month in the job, one week for each year from 2 to 12 years, and 12 weeks after 12 years. Your contract can give you more. An employee leaving after at least a month in the job must give at least a week's notice (or longer, if the contract says so). In cases of gross misconduct there's no right to notice.

Protection from unfair dismissal normally requires 2 years' service (for dismissals taking effect before 1 January 2027). For dismissals taking effect from 1 January 2027, the qualifying period is cut to 6 months and the cap on compensation is removed. GOV.UK lists reasons that usually make a dismissal unfair, such as asking for flexible working, being a trade union member, taking maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or whistleblowing. Check with Acas whether a qualifying period applies in your case.

The deadlines for bringing an employment tribunal claim have been extended: for situations from 1 October 2026 it's 6 months less 1 day (previously usually 3 months less 1 day; for a few types of claim, such as redundancy pay or equal pay, it was already 6 months less 1 day; in Scotland the new deadline for breach of contract claims applies from 9 November 2026). Contacting Acas within the deadline stops the clock.

Employment Rights Act: what's in force and what's coming

Already in force (according to the GOV.UK timeline of 14 October 2026):

• 6 April 2026: SSP from day one, with no earnings threshold; paternity leave and unpaid parental leave from day one of employment; stronger protection for people who report sexual harassment.
• 7 April 2026: the Fair Work Agency, the body that enforces employment rights, was set up.
• 1 October 2026: 6 months to bring a tribunal claim.

Changes still to come (with dates):

• From 30 October 2026: employers must take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment of their staff.
• From 1 January 2027: unfair dismissal protection after 6 months' service (for dismissals taking effect from that date).
• January 2027 (exact date not yet announced): protection against ‘fire and rehire’.
• 2027 (no exact date): guaranteed hours, umbrella company regulation, extended bereavement leave.

All future dates may still change.

When your employer doesn't pay

1. Talk to your employer and ask in writing for a record of your hours and pay. Keep your payslips, rotas and messages.
2. Call Acas: 0300 123 1100, Mon–Fri 8am–6pm, free interpreting in more than 100 languages (the advice is free; call charges depend on your provider).
3. Report it to HMRC if you've been paid less than the minimum wage, using the ‘Complain about pay and work rights’ form on GOV.UK. You can do this even if you no longer work there, and ask for your identity not to be revealed to your employer. You can't do it if the case has already gone to a tribunal. If HMRC finds you've been underpaid, your employer must pay back the money and may be fined.
4. Early conciliation through Acas is a compulsory step before most tribunal claims. It lasts up to 12 weeks, and at the end you get a certificate with a number for the ET1 form.
5. Serious exploitation or suspected modern slavery: the Fair Work Agency — quickest by online form or email (contact@fairworkagency.gov.uk); the phone line 0800 432 0804 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm) may mean a longer wait. If you're in immediate danger, call 999.

Where to get help

• Acas — helpline (0300 123 1100): free, confidential advice on employment rights and pay.
• HMRC — minimum wage complaints.
• Fair Work Agency.
• Citizens Advice — local advice.
• Plan to Make Work Pay — timeline of changes.

This guide is general information and is not a substitute for individual advice. In a dispute, contact Acas or Citizens Advice.