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Know Your Rights

Know your rights

Know your rights resources

The TUC publishes a series of free leaflets explaining your rights at work and dealing with other common workplace problems.

You download these online here, or them online at WorkSMART.

Facing redundancy

Facing redundancy (updated March 2009)

This page gives you a basic guide to the law about redundancy and answers some common questions about what happens when you lose your job.

Leave and pay for mothers

Leave and pay for mothers (updated November 2014)

This page provides information on the right to unpaid parental leave, request flexible working and the right to emergency time off for dependants, which may help mothers balance paid work with bringing up their children.

Leave and pay for fathers and partners

Leave and pay for fathers and partners (Updated November 2014)

This page focuses on how these rights work following the birth of a child. If you are adopting a child or using a surrogate to have a child you may want to refer to the Know Your Rights leaflets for these situations.

Protection from sexual harassment

Protection from sexual harassment - LGBT (August 2017)

This page resource describes sexual harassment, its impact and the rights you have to fight back if it happens.

Protection from sexual harassment - Women

Protection from sexual harassment -Women (August 2017)

This page describes the offence, its impact and the rights you have to fight back if it happens.

Time off and pay for adoptive parents

Time off and pay for adoptive parents (May 2015)​

This page covers the basic (sometimes called statutory) rights that employers must provide to qualifying adoptive parents who work for them. 

Time off and flexible working for carers

Time off and flexible working for carers (May 2015)​

If you are juggling work with caring for a relative who is ill, frail or disabled, here are the six things you need to know.

Time off and pay for parents having a child through surrogacy

Time off and pay for parents having a child through surrogacy (May 2015)​

This page covers the basic (sometimes called statutory) rights that employers must provide to intended parents who are having a child through a surrogacy arrangement.

Understanding grievances and disciplinaries

Understanding grievances and disciplinaries (August 2011)

Whatever job you do, you can run into problems at work. Sometimes these can be sorted out quickly by informal discussions with your manager. However, if the problem is serious an informal chat is unlikely to help you resolve it and either side may wish to make a formal complaint. 

Working in the UK

Working in the UK - a guide to your rights (November 2014)

Welcome to the TUC guide on your rights at work in the UK. Trade unions bring workers together to defend rights at work, make sure workplaces are safe and bargain for better pay and conditions for their members. Find out how to join a union.

Working time, breaks and holidays

Working time, breaks and holidays (February 2017)

This is just a short guide, not a full statement of the law. If your rights are being ignored get advice from your trade union about taking action to enforce them. 

Young people at work

Young people at work (April 2003)

If you are aged 16 or 17 find out about protection against working long hours, the minimum wage and more.

Helpful resources

You will also find documents which relate to rights at work all over this TUC site. Just find the subject you are interested in by selecting from the subject drop down menu, and then browse through the documents in this area. Of particular interest may be The Law at Work subject area.

Also check out some of these other useful sites:

workSMART
Pay and Work Rights Helpline 0800 917 2368
ACAS
GOV.UK Employment
National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux
Health and Safety Executive
Equality & Human Rights Commission

Working Families runs a free helpline and can assist with queries on maternity and paternity rights; parental leave; flexible working; emergency leave; all rights and benefits for working parents and carers. The Freephone number is 0300 012 0312 or email our helpline team for advice at advice@workingfamilies.org.uk.

reps

Maybe it's time you joined a union

When a group of workers act and speak together, their employer has to listen. That’s how unions make things better at work.

So why not find out which union is the right one for you, get a group of mates together in your workplace, and join a union?

More than 6 million people are in a union – from nurses to checkout assistants to lorry drivers to airline pilots. Unions help workers get together, stop people being treated unfairly and get a better deal from their employers.

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