Starting to Work You Need to Know Your Rights - CareerAlley

Starting to Work You Need to Know Your Rights - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. All employees are under the protective umbrella of employment law. Reassuring as this may be, it is difficult to know what your rights are when you are just getting started and are new to the professional world. Salary and equality All workers above the compulsory school age usually qualify for the national minimum wage. In order to be entitled to the national minimum wage, you must qualify as an employee under the law. Hence, if you are a volunteer, for example, then you do not qualify as an employee and you will not enjoy the same rights. If your employer refuses to pay you your wages, then you may be able to bring a claim to an employment tribunal. Regardless of your employment status, you always have the right to conduct your tasks without being discriminated against. Unlawful grounds of discrimination include, but are not limited to: Age Gender Religion or belief Marital status Discrimination is unlawful in all employment processes, including in the recruitment process, promotions, and dismissal procedures. Being a parent and having a career If you have a child under the age of five, whether biological or adopted, then you are entitled to parental leave. This is not the same as maternity or paternity leave, but it is an entitlement that employees enjoy which allows them to take unpaid time off in order to care for their child. As a mother-to-be you are entitled to statutory maternity leave of one year. However, you have to qualify as an employee to benefit from this. For fathers the situation is slightly different, they are entitled to two weeks paternity leave but can take additional leave, up to a maximum of 26 weeks, if the mother does not take all of her leave. The remaining weeks can then be transferred to the father. If your employer is refusing to grant you your rights to leave as a parent, then you may want to take legal action. However, before doing so you should always try to talk with your employer and see if it is possible to reach an amicable solution to the matter. What do I do if my employer refuses to grant me my basic employment law rights? Many employees suspect, or are certain, that their employment rights have been violated. If you are in this situation then try to talk to your employer or union representative. If your working conditions do not improve, then you may want to seek legal advice. Taking a claim to an employment tribunal can be rewarding if the final judgment turns out to be in your favour. However, in order to ensure that your interests are looked after you may want to seek expert legal advice. This article was provided by This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook