UK employment rights, in plain English
Clear guides to pay, leave, contracts, dismissal and discrimination. Each one is dated, written for people rather than lawyers, and linked to the law it rests on.
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You have the right to work without sexual harassment. Make a record and report it safely today; your employer must prevent harassment, not wait for a complaint.
You can bring a qualifying union official even if your employer does not recognise a union. Ask for a companion, check the hearing date and keep the reply.
What the law protects, what employers must do and how to bring a claim. Check which tribunal deadline applies after the October 2026 change.
Recognition gets your union into negotiations over your group's terms. How to organise, ask for an agreement and use the CAC if your employer refuses.
You can join a union today, even if your employer refuses to recognise it. Start with a union that covers your job; know which rights need a deadline.
Calculators
2026–27 reform tracker
Many three-month limits became six months where the relevant date is on or after today. Earlier events do not acquire extra time.
Commencement No. 6, made on 1 October, legally fixes this start for stronger harassment prevention and third-party protections, union access, remaining recognition and derecognition reforms, and…
The qualifying period falls to six months and the ordinary compensatory-award cap disappears for dismissals with an effective termination date from this day. Fire-and-rehire protections and…
The government plans a day-one right for employees in Great Britain to take up to two weeks of unpaid leave for specified family bereavements and pregnancy…
Drawn from the reform tracker, which gives each change its date, who it affects and the source.
How we work
Every guide shows when it was last reviewed, and figures carry the date they took effect.
Claims link to legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK, Acas or nidirect, with a sources list at the foot.
Worked examples for money and time, and a clear line between what is in force and what is coming.
