Employment rights - quick facts
Working time (for adults)
• Rest break at work of at least 20 minutes (if working day is six hours long or more).
• Break between days of work of at least 11 hours.
• Weekly rest of not less than 24 hours (can be averaged over two weeks - i.e. not less than two days off every two weeks).
• For night workers (those working at least three hours between 11pm – 6am), a maximum eight hour shift (in any 24-hour period as averaged out, normally, over 17 weeks).
• 48 hours (unless opt-out agreed) maximum per week - calculated by averaging out hours over 26 weeks (except in certain sectors or unless varied by agreement).
• 5.6 weeks holiday per year (which can include bank holidays) making a minimum of 28 days for those working five days per week.
Notice
• Statutory notice: after one month's service, one week per year of service up to a maximum of 12 weeks.
Minimum time limits for a collective consultation
• 100 or more employees: at least 90 days.
• 20-99 employees: 30 days.
Elements of a fair consultation
• Consultation when the proposals are still at a formative stage.
• Adequate information on which to respond.
• Adequate time in which to respond.
• Conscientious consideration by the employer of the response to consultation.
Other leave and pay
• Time off to care for dependants: unpaid time off to handle an unexpected emergency/disruption in care arrangements.
• Parental leave: 13 unpaid weeks in blocks of one or more complete weeks (up to age of 17, or in the case of a disabled child up to 18 years).
• Statutory maternity leave and pay: 39 weeks paid (six weeks at 90% of wages, 30 weeks at £135.45 per week) and 13 weeks unpaid leave.
• Statutory paternity leave and pay: two weeks at minimum of £135.45 per week - as of April 2012 new mothers can transfer all or part of their additional leave (i.e. the second six month period away from work) to fathers.
• Statutory week's pay (for calculating minimum redundancy entitlement, etc): £430 from 1 October 2011).
• National Minimum Wage: £6.19 an hour (unless under 21 years old or a first year apprentice).
• Statutory Sick Pay: from the fourth day off in a row onwards, statutory sick pay is payable for up to 28 weeks (£85.85 since April 2012).