What benefits can you claim if you have a contract with English employer? Do you know the guarantees from your employer?

Overtime work

Overtime work is only upon agreement with your employer. You cannot be forced to work more than 48 hours per week. During the week you should have at least 1 day off. In most of the cases working overtime means earning 1,5 times your regular hourly wage but this depends on your contract between you and your employer.

Work at weekends

It depends on your employer if he needs you to work during the weekend. Care assistants must work during the weekend. Higher pay rate during weekend depends on the contract with your employer.

Work at night

Regular night workers shouldn´t work more than 8 hours in any 24-hour period. Working time conditions allow night work to be averaged over a 17-week period in the same way as week working hours.

Holiday

Almost all workers on English contract are legally entitled to at least 5,6 weeks of paid annual leave. This means 28 days of paid holiday if you work 5 days a week for a full year. During your holiday you will be paid your normal wage. You must be qualified as an employee to be entitled to the statutory right to be paid annual leave. If you are self-employed you do not have a legal right to be paid annual leave.

Annual wage suppliment

In England, the payment of the 13th and 14th salaries is not prescribed by law. Any other financial bonus only upon agreement with your employer.

Sick leave

If you work in England and you are sick for more than 4 days in a row (including free days off) you may receive £ 94,25 (110,68€) of statutory sick pay from your employer weekly for a maximum of 28 weeks. The statutory sick pay is not paid for the first 3 days of illness. Doctor´s statement is usually required only from day 8 of absence from work. Until then, your own testimony is sufficient.

Social benefits

Anyone who has got a child under the age of 16 (or 20 if the child is full-time student) and is employed in the UK or has lived here for more than 3 months is entitled to child benefit, with no limit on the number of children. In England, you receive a social contribution for the oldest or only child £20,70 (24,31€) weekly. For every other child £13,70 (16,09€).

Payrate for working during bank holidays

If you work in England during bank holiday you are not automatically entitled to an increased wage. What you get depends on your employment contract but it should be between 50% an 100% of your basic salary. If full-time employees receive paid leave during a bank holiday, part-time employees who do not normally work on that day are entitled to paid leave on another day proportionate to their working time. If you get a monthly salary and you don’t go to work on that day you will be paid. However, if you are paid by hour, they are most likely not to get paid for it. If the holiday goes out for the weekend, the leave is moved to Monday.

Maternity leave

Every woman working in England is entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave. The first 6 weeks you will receive 90% of the average weekly salary, then £148,68 (174,60€) or 90% of the average salary for 33 weeks (whichever is lower). As an employee you have the right to receive 26 weeks of normal maternity leave and an additional 26 weeks which is one whole year. To be entitled to maternity leave you must tell your employer about pregnancy 15 weeks before the baby is born. It is also necessary to agree when you are planning to leave for maternity leave.

If you, your spouse or partner have a child in foster care, you will not be entitled to maternity leave or adoptive leave, but you will be entitled to unpaid parental leave.

Retirement

You will need at least 10 qualifying years in your national registry (not consecutive) to earn any state pension. The full amount if the new state pension is £164,35 (193,00€) per week. The actual amount you receive depends on your national pension record. You can pay tax on your pension. A new state pension is usually paid retroactively for the previous month once every 4 weeks to the account of your choice.

Food allowance

In England each employee is providing food by himself.