Guidance

Your rights at work: Homes for Ukraine

What you can expect from your employer and what your responsibilities are as an employee. What to do if you think you are being treated unfairly at work.

Your rights and protection at work

Employers must respect the needs of employees if it does not also interfere with the work they are employed to do.

It is illegal to discriminate against anyone applying for a job or in the workplace because of:

  • gender
  • race
  • religion
  • being married or in a civil partnership
  • disability
  • age
  • sexual orientation
  • being pregnant

You have the same rights and protections in law that UK citizens do.

When you go to work, you have the right to be treated fairly and work in a safe place.

You also have the right to be able to work in a safe environment, without fear of or harassment, violence or threats from your employer, colleagues or customers.

Everyone has the right to work and have equal rights and duties.

Your work contract

In the UK, when you get a job, you should also get a job contract or a job agreement.

The terms and conditions of your work will be in your contract or agreement (this includes things like the number of hours you will work and how much you are paid).

Make sure you read this carefully, with an interpreter, if necessary, before you sign.

Employment status

Your statutory (legal) employment rights at work, like how much you’re paid, or if you’re allowed to take paid leave from work for holidays or maternity leave, depend on your employment status.

If you want to know more about your employment rights and when you can access them, you can look at the table of employment rights.

In the UK, we have 3 main types of employment status:

  • employee
  • worker
  • self employed

There is a different way to work out your tax status.

To work out what your employment status is, you can ask your employer (or engager, which is a person or business that engages self-employed people for work). You can also look at your ‘written statement of particulars’ (a document that tells you the main conditions of your employment, but it is not a contract), or your contract.

The work you do for your employer (or engager) will always decide your employment status, not what is written in the written statement of particulars or your contract.

If you think that you do not have the correct employment status or you are not getting all your employment rights you can call ACAS on 0300 123 1100 Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm. They can offer interpreters.

Employees

Employees get all employment rights. Sometimes you need to have worked at a company for a specific length of time before you can get full rights. Find out more about being an employee.

If you are an employee, you will be entitled to employment rights such as:

  • a minimum wage of £10.42 for people aged 23 and over
  • protection against your employer taking money from your wages
  • one 20-minute break if you work more than 6 hours a day
  • to work a maximum of 48 hours on average in a week or to opt out of this right if you choose
  • being protected against illegal discrimination
  • being protected if reporting wrongdoing in a workplace
  • being treated the same if you work part-time as someone who works full time

You may also get:

  • sick pay
  • maternity pay
  • paternity pay
  • adoption pay
  • shared parental pay

Workers

Workers get some specific employment rights (minimum wage or national living wage, holiday pay and protection against discrimination), but have more flexibility over when, how much, and where they work. Find out more about being a worker.

If you are a worker, you will be entitled to employment rights such as:

  • a minimum wage of £10.42 for people aged 23 and over
  • protection against your employer taking money from your wages
  • one 20-minute break if you work more than 6 hours a day
  • to work a maximum of 48 hours on average in a week or to opt out of this right if you choose
  • being protected against illegal discrimination
  • being protected if reporting wrongdoing in a workplace
  • being treated the same if you work part-time as someone who works full time

Self-employed workers

Self-employed workers or contractors generally have no employment rights but have complete flexibility in deciding how and when they work. Find out more about being self-employed.

You can read more about employment status.

If you work as an agency worker, you will also have rights from the first day of your employment.

Working in the fresh produce industry

The Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) regulates businesses who provide workers to the fresh produce supply chain and horticulture industry, to make sure they meet the employment standards required by law.

GLAA has translated their guidance into Ukrainian (PDF, 7.55MB).

It explains to anyone working in the UK, their rights and how to complain if they feel they are not being treated properly or fairly.

Published 16 January 2023