Your Rights at Work

Get answers to your employment law questions fast in this easy-read pocket guide. 

Whether you need to know about redundancy pay, constructive dismissal or maternity pay, Your Rights at Work gives you the employment law advice you need simply and concisely.

Written by an employment lawyer, this pocket guide gives you an overview of your employee rights so you know what money/benefits you're owed and how you should be treated.

If you're facing redundancy or are about to have a baby, you can find out about redundancy pay and maternity leave. If you've been fired, you can find out if your boss has the right to terminate your contract...

And if you're being asked to change or  your hours or work Sundays, then this pocket guide can let you know whether the company is breaking the rules of employment law.

Your Rights at Work will answer your questions on the latest developments in employment law, including:

• Redundancy
• Maternity rights and parental leave
• Discrimination in the workplace
• Contract termination
• Constructive dismissal
• Changing your employment contract
• Compromise agreements
• Working hours and time off
• Equal pay
• Statutory Sick Pay.

Few legal fields change as rapidly as employment law.

And in the present recession more and more people are facing redundancy or reduced working hours. So get up to speed with your rights in the workplace today!

Your Rights at Work Contents

From 6 April 2009 a number of employment law changes have occurred. They are as follows:

Statutory grievance procedure (or sometimes referred to as statutory dispute resolution procedure)

This procedure is abolished from 6 April 2009. All references to this procedure in the book should be ignored.  Employers are still required to follow a fair procedure in dealing with disciplinary matters and grievances. ACAS have issued a new code on disciplinary and grievance procedures. Please see www.acas.org.uk. If the code is not followed, tribunal awards can be increased by up to 25%.

Paid holiday

From 1 April 2009 paid holiday increases to 5.6 weeks (or 28 days) for a full-time worker or pro-rata that amount for a part-time worker. This can include bank and public holidays.

Flexible working

From 6 April 2009 parents with children under 17 can now request flexible working (previously it was parents with children under six). The same rules apply in respect of what the employer must do when they receive such a request.

Pay increases

From 6 April 2009 Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)/Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)/Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) increases to £123.06 and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) increases to £79.15.

The National Insurance contribution rate is now £90.