With regards to employment issues, numerous scenarios can apply, ranging from obtaining consultancy services on the provisions of an employment contract to various problems that can arise at the workplace. If you are living in Manchester, UK, and you work here or you are interested in working in a local company, you can request legal assistance from persons specialized in the employment law. Here, our lawyer in Manchester can be of help.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Court assistance in employment matters offered by our employment solicitors in Manchester (yes/no) |
Yes |
|
Who can request legal assistance on employment matters |
– individuals employed in companies, – employers, – foreign employees and employers They can contact our employment solicitors in Manchester. |
| Legal issues that can arise between the employer and the employee, regulated by the employment law |
– settlements between the employer and the employee, – disciplinary issues, – harrasment, – bullying, – payment of wages, – sickness, – maternity leave, – paternity leave, – breanch of the employment contract etc. |
| Legal assistance on the employment contract (yes/no) |
Yes, our employment solicitors in Manchester can help you with signing an employment contract. |
| Basic rules for night shift work in Manchester |
– Night shift work is carried out between 11 PM and 5 or 6 AM. – The rights of workers developing work activities in this interval are regulated by the 1998 Regulations. – The night shift can’t be longer than 8 hours, unless agreed otherwise. – The minimum amount of time for rest between 2 night shifts is of 11 hours. |
| Law regulating night shift employment |
– 1998 Regulations, – National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015 |
| Law regulating the employee’s wage | National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015 |
| Employment contract provisions mandatory for night shift workers |
– the hours between the night shift occurs, – the responsibilities, obligations and the rights of the worker, – the maximum number of hours worked per week and the resting time, – the amount of time allocated for rest at work, – any exemptions from the basic rules agreed by both parties. |
| The minimum legal age when a person is allowed to work in the UK |
The earliest age when a person can start work in the UK is 13, but there are numerous limitations regarding the number of hours and the activities and when such activities can be carried out and it is allowed to work only part-time. Full-time employment is allowed only when a minor reaches school leaving age, which is 16. |
| Rules for the employment of foreigners |
The national employment rules will apply once the foreigner is hired in Manchester, but prior to this the person should comply with various immigration procedures related to employment: – obtaining a work visa suitable for the person’s level of expertise and work contract, – obtaining a residence permit, – having a sponsor, etc. |
| Main areas of employment covered by the employment law |
– the employment contract, – the rights and the obligations of the parties signing the contracts, – health and safety regulations to be respected in the work environment, – the wage and the benefits of the employees, – free days and holidays, – paid sick days, – maternity/paternity/adoption leave, – litigation situations between the employer and the employee, – collective contracts, etc. |
| The basic work schedule/ working days |
The maximum work schedule per week for full-time employees should be of 48 hours. Full-time employees below 18 years old cannot work more than 8 hours/day or 40 hours per week. For most employees, working days are from Monday to Friday. |
| Free days regulated by the law |
For persons who work Monday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday are free days. Outside the weekend, there are the national holidays regulated by the law and 28 days per year which are regulated as paid holiday for full-time employees.
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| Rules for work activities developed during the free days |
There aren’t special rules, but employees who work on days that are considered free days have to be informed about this since the employment contract is signed or to receive a notification in due time. |
| Law regulating rules against discrimination in the workplace |
The Equality Act 2010 |
Our employment solicitors in Manchester are ready to represent you in front of the local courts, provided that this will be the case. At the same time, our Manchester solicitors can represent employers in a wide range of legal matters deriving from the employment legislation. Some of our main services are presented below.
Table of Contents
What are the main legal services offered by our employment solicitors in Manchester?
The employment legislation refers to numerous aspects, from the provisions that must be included in the employment contract (the number of hours worked by the employee, the type of employment contract, the wage paid by the employer, the obligations and the rights of the two parties and numerous others), to various issues that can arise between the employer and the employee, such as:
- claims regarding harassment at the workplace or discrimination based on various grounds;
- legal matters concerning disciplinary measures taken at the workplace;
- various breaches of the employment contract, where the victim is either the employee or the employer;
- issues regarding the dismissal of the employee, for situations in which the decision was abusive;
- legal matters related to the bonus payments that must be paid to the employee in given situations;
- issues related to flexible working hours, maternity leave, unpaid wages and others.
What are the regulations for night shifts in the UK?
A part of the employees working in Manchester, UK, has to carry out night shifts, due to their work activities. The manner in which night shifts can take place is regulated under the employment regulations and in the case an employer requires an employee to carry out longer night shifts or to develop working activities outside the scope of the contract, the employee is entitled to sue the employer.
If you are working in night shifts or if your future job activity will require you to work during the night, you can always request in-depth advice on your rights from our employment lawyers in Manchester. Please mind that night shifts do not have to be done as full time work activities in order to be considered night shifts.
We invite you to watch a short video on the services of employment solicitors in Manchester:
Thus, any work activity that is developed for at least three hours during the night is considered a night shift, as long as it is developed between 11 PM and 5 AM. It is also important to know that persons who work during night shifts will receive their remuneration in accordance with the rules of the National Minimum Wage, so the employer is not required to offer a higher salary just because the work activity is carried out during the night.
The employment contract must also contain provisions regarding the possibility to sleep during the night shifts, which can be the case for certain workers, such as those who are care workers and who, during the night, have to assist and take care of the needs of other persons. The regulations concerning the hours of sleep during the night shift will also have an impact on the salary agreed with the employer, and if you need advice, we recommend you to call our employment law solicitors in Manchester.
Please be aware that a person can’t work more that 8 hours in a 24 hours period if the job activity is developed during the night shift. The age of the worker is also of importance. A person can be legally employed in the UK starting with the age of 16, but the law requires that persons who have an age of 16 to 18 years old to not work during night shifts.
There are few exemptions from the information presented above, and if you want to know more on this subject, our employment lawyers in Manchester can be of help. You are invited to contact our Manchester solicitors for advice on employment in the UK as a foreigner (foreigners have the same right to employment, but before arriving here, they must obtain work visas and other immigration papers).
Persons who arrive here for employment will generally have to apply for a suitable work visa, unless there is an exemption in this sense.
Our immigration solicitors in Manchester can help foreigners select the most suitable visa for their level of expertise, duration of stay, etc. Our team can also assist foreigners who arrive in this country for skilled employment.
Our team is also specialized in providing legal representation to parties involved in litigious cases, as it can sometimes appear between employees and employers.
This can be due to the fact that one of the parties did not respect the obligations of the employment contract, for instance. You can rely on our solicitors in Manchester city centre for this legal service.
What does the UK law on employment prescribe?
The legislation on employment in the UK is extensive and covers all areas that can be of interest for the employer and the employee. Our employment solicitors in Manchester can provide in-depth information on the provisions of the law to those interested in this subject.
One should know that the British employment regulations refer to legal aspects such as: employment contracts and the working hours associated with each type of contract, the payment for overtime, the dismissal of the employees or resignations and the legal procedures that must be respected by both parties with regards to health and safety measures at work (which vary based on the type of activity developed in the workplace).
The legislation provides the regulations concerning payroll and registration of the employee for various employment taxes and benefits, the pension of an employee, the manner in which a company can hire employees, which must done following the anti-discrimination rules applicable here, sick leave requirements or maternity leave, to name just some of the main aspects of the legislation.
What is the level of employment in the UK?
According to the latest statistics provided by the Office for National Statistics, the employment level in the UK follows a positive trend. In the last years, the employment rate in the country increased at a steady level, considering that the UK is an European country that attracts one of the highest shares of foreigners, drawn here by the competitive salaries.
If you are foreigner who wants to work in the UK, you can receive legal advice on how to immigrate here for work purposes from our employment solicitors in Manchester. Foreign workforce accounts for an important share of the entire working population in the UK, which is characterized by the following:
- from a legal point of view, local citizens and foreigners can work here if they have an age between 16 to 64 years old;
- the employment rates calculated for the working population (16-64 years old) has been constantly increasing since 2012;
- from December 2019 to February 2020, the employment rate registered a record level, of 76.6%, accounting for a slight increase of 0.2% compared to the same period of the previous year;
- the employment rate amongst men stood at 80.2%, while for women, it accounted for 72.7%;
- in absolute numbers, there were 33.07 million employed persons in the UK, which represented an increase of 352,000 persons compared to the previous year.
What are the rules for working on Sunday?
Sunday in the UK is considered a day for resting, and most of employers will not develop business activities on a Sunday. Most of the companies opt to work on a Monday to Friday basis, with Saturday and Sunday as free days. When signing an employment contract, the employer must make very clear which are the working days; please address to our employment lawyers in Manchester if you need further information.
In an employment contract, the days when the employee has to be at work have to be mentioned very clear and in the case in which work is to be performed during the weekend, including on a Sunday, this must be clearly stated, including in the case in which a person will work on shifts (shifts can occur for both day and night activities). Our employment law solicitors in Manchester can present other information regulating shift work.
For instance, depending on the work activities of a person, one can work a day and have one day off and so on (this can be the case of hospital units, clinics, accommodation units and so on, where one can work a longer shift than just the basic 8 hours shift). Here, the future employee must understand that this type of work system will imply that in some cases, work during weekend can occur, but this has to be agreed upon when the work contract is signed.
Please be aware that the law in the UK clearly states that the employer has to give a notice in writing with regards to the fact that the employee is required to work on a Sunday. It is also important to know that the employee can’t be obliged to work on a Sunday if a prior agreement has not been established between the parties.
Our employment law solicitors in Manchester are ready to assist you with more regulations regarding the rights of the employees; you can contact our team if you want to know more on the holiday benefits you can have, or the rights you have as a part-time employee. Please feel free to contact us if you want to know the rights of an employee who is fired from the job, regardless if there is a breach of contract or if the company had to reduce its work operations.
Foreign persons who want to work here should know that the legislation regulating the wage level in this country is regulated by the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and matters related to discrimination on various grounds are established under the Equality Act 2010. If you need more details on the legislation or on other matters that you are interested in, our employment solicitors in Manchester remain at your disposal.
