Unions & employee voice
Work to rule or refuse overtime: can they dock a whole shift?
Refusing voluntary extras should not cost you your contracted pay. Refusing a contractual duty can, even when you work most of the shift.
Unions & employee voice
Joining a union, recognition, collective bargaining and whistleblowing.
26 guides
Unions & employee voice
Which union should I join? Find the union for your job
You can join a union without your manager's permission. Find one for your job, check the fee and ask what help you will get before paying.
Unions & employee voice
Can a union come into my workplace? New rights from 30 October 2026
A new access process starts on 30 October in England, Wales and Scotland, not Northern Ireland. Your first move is to contact a union organiser.
What must employers tell unions in collective bargaining?
"We can't afford it" deserves more than a nod. Your recognised union can ask for the figures behind pay and staffing decisions, and challenge an employer that unlawfully withholds them.
Can unions campaign on environmental issues?
A green campaign can be about your lungs, your shifts or your job. What matters is the demand and the action you take.
What happens to union recognition after a takeover?
A new owner does not wipe out your pay or your union. But the deal's structure, and what happens to your workforce afterwards, matter.
Can gig workers join a union? Your rights explained
You do not need the app's permission to join a union. But your employment status decides whether the law can make it bargain, and what happens if it cuts your work.
Can unions support mental health at work?
A union cannot treat anxiety or depression. It can help you challenge the staffing, hours and treatment that are making you ill.
Can a union help with apprenticeship training?
A learning rep can help you find a course. Your union can press for paid study time and challenge missing training or unlawful apprentice pay.
Can unions challenge the gender pay gap?
A pay gap report is a starting point, not a remedy. We explain how to get the pay evidence, organise with colleagues and challenge unequal pay.
Can trade unions organise online?
Your own phone can bring colleagues together across shifts. That does not give you free use of work email. Here is what the law protects now and what is scheduled to change.
How can unions improve workplace inclusion?
A rep beside you, fairer rules for everyone, and someone to check the employer keeps its word. What unions can win, and what the law cannot promise.