Starting Work

When you first start work you will be given certain responsibilities that you need to meet not only for your employer but also your colleagues, yourself and customers etc. Every workplace is different but below is a list of things that you are likely going to need to do within your new job:

  • Be reliable - this means turning up for work on time each day, and being there each day. If you are going to be late (employers know that it will sometimes happen), then let them know as soon as you can, don’t just turn up and expect them to be happy.
  • Find out what the procedure is for advising them if you are unwell. Normally it is a phone call, which will need to be made before your shift would begin. This will give the chance to either sort out someone to cover your work, or to adjust the workload for the day accordingly.
  • Be responsible when it comes to health and safety of not only yourself but of your colleagues too. Use your common sense and don’t put anyone, yourself included, in any unnecessary danger.
  • If you are uncertain about something don’t be afraid to ask someone for help, it is much better to ask at this point then later and make a mistake.
  • Show that you are interested in your job, ask questions about the job and get to know your colleagues ensuring that you work and contribute to the team. You are going to be with your colleagues for the majority of the week, it is better to get on with them to help you enjoy your time in work.

Your Rights

When you go to work you will also have certain rights which include:

National Minimum Wage

The Government sets a National Minimum Wage for all those that employed within the UK. This means that you are entitled to a basic level of income whether full time, part time or on a casual basis. The only time it doesn’t apply is if you are self employed.

The rate that you are entitled to is dependant on your age, the rates given here are correct as of October 2013 and are due to change again in October 2014. If you want to check the updated rates you can visit www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage It is also possible to use the Freephone number and talk to an advisor on the Pay and Work Rights Helpline - 0800 917 2368 or visit www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights-helpline.

Minimum Wage for 16 and 17 year olds

If you are between the age of 16 and 17 and officially past the school leaving age, but you are not on an apprenticeship, then you are entitled to receive a minimum of £3.72 per hour (rising to £3.79 per hour in October 2014).

Minimum Wage for 18 plus

If you are aged between 18 and 20 then you are entitled to a minimum wage of £5.03 per hour (rising to £5.13 from October 2014), this then goes up to £6.31 per hour once you are aged over 21 (rising to £6.50 from October 2014). Again if you are on an apprenticeship this figure may be different, but is outlined below.

Minimum Wage for an Apprentice

If you are taking part in an Apprenticeship and are aged under 19, or you are over 19 but in year 1 of your Apprenticeship, you will be entitled to a minimum wage of £2.68 per hour (rising to £2.73 per hour from October 2014).

Holidays

Every employee in the UK is entitled to at least 5.6 weeks of paid holiday each year, this includes 28 days holiday if working 5 days a week. Your holiday entitlement also can include the 8 bank holidays we have in the year (although you may need to work these as part of your contract, they will be given back in your holiday entitlement).

One week is worked out on the basis of the normal hours you usually would work, so if you work only 2 .5 days per week you would get half of the 28 days holiday that a full time member of staff would earn. There is more information on holiday entitlement at www.gov.uk

Working Hours

If you are between 16 and 17 and you have left school, the law states you can’t work more than 40 hours per week, or to put it simply no more than 8 hours per day.

If you are over 18 you can not legally be made to work more than 48 hours per week by your employer (averaged over 17 weeks). That said, you have the option to “opt out” of this 48 hour limit by signing a written agreement stating that you are willing to work more than 48 hours in a week, for example if you wanted to do overtime you may need to sign this.

If you are under 16 years of age, or have not yet left school, there are different rules altogether, look at out section on Saturday Jobs for more information on this.

Continued Study

Due to the RPA (Raising of the Participation Age), if you were in year 11 at the end of June 2013, and you stayed in work rather than remain in education or training, your employer must be helping you to train towards an accredited qualification alongside your job.

Equal Opportunities

It is very important that you understand what is meant by the term Equal Opportunity as it could help you to understand whether you are being treated fairly or not.

Equal Opportunities means that all people are treated equally and are only judged on their ability to do their job, nothing else should be a consideration. This is very important when applying for jobs or when you are starting in a new job, as well as throughout your career.

It is illegal for an employer to discriminate against your on the basis of:

  • Age
  • Disability
  • Gender reassignment
  • Marriage or civil partnership
  • Pregnancy or maternity
  • Race (to include colour, nationality and ethnic origin)
  • Religion or beliefs
  • Sex
  • Sexual orientation

If you feel that you are being discriminated for any of the points listed above you can get help and advice from the following placed:

Equality Advisory Support Service

Helpline 0800 444 205 or Textphone 0800 444 206, website www.equalityadvisoryservice.com

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS)

Helpline 08457 47 47 47 or Text Relay Service 18001 08457 47 47 47, website www.acas.org.uk

The Citizens Advice Bureau

Helpline 08444 111 444 or Text Relay Service 08444 111 445, website www.adviceguide.org.uk

Money Matters

When starting work or as an Apprentice it is essential that you have a bank account for your wages to be paid into, as most employers will pay your wages directly into your bank via a BACs payment. This is likely to be done either weekly or on a monthly basis.

When in full time employment you will normally pay Income Tax and National Insurance straight out of your earnings. Income Tax is a percentage of your wages and is normally deducted from your money before you receive the money. It will normally show in your payslip as PAYE which means Pay as You Earn.

National Insurance contributions will show on your payslip as NI, and like Income Tax will come out of your pay before you get it. You only begin to pay National Insurance when you r earn more than £146 each week (tax year 2012 - 13), this means that if you work part time you may come under the threshold and not have to pay it.

When you start work this is not something you need to worry about as your employer will ordinarily sort this out for you, you shouldn’t have to do anything.

You should receive a payslip from your employer when ever you are paid, on this it will describe what you have been paid, how much Income Tax and National Insurance you have paid, along with any other deductions that can include:

  • Pension Contribution
  • Student Loan (if you have got a job after completing university)
  • Holiday pay or Sick pay if you have been off work during the pay period

There may be other deductions that come out that are specific to your employer, this could include contributions to charity, or a raffle price etc. Check with your employer, these are generally schemes you can opt in and out of.

If you have any questions regarding money matters and working visit www.gov.uk/browse/working