Employment Rights Hub

The Mayor of London's Employment Rights Hub helps Londoners to understand their rights at work. On these pages you can:

learn more about your employment status
see what your rights are
learn what to do if you're having problems at work.

Employment rights are changing

From early 2026, employment rights in the UK are changing because of the Employment Rights Act, which passed in late 2025. We’re updating the Employment Rights Hub so that it continues to give clear, accurate information.

If you’re having a problem at work, you can still use this Hub to understand your current rights and find organisations who offer advice and support. Find out what's changing.

Know your rights at work

Everyone who works in the UK has some employment rights. There are two kinds of employment rights:

Statutory employment rights are based on laws that the government has passed. Your statutory rights depend on your employment status.
Contractual employment rights are extra rights that are part of your contract or agreement with an employer or a person you work for.

Your employment status

Your rights, and your employer's responsibilities, depend on your employment status. The three most common statuses are:

Employee: Someone who works regular hours for another person or a company.
Worker: Someone who works for another person or company only when there is work available.
Self-employed/freelance: Someone who owns their own company or business.

If you're not sure what your employment status is, see the Trade Union Congress (TUC)'s information about the different statuses or the government's guidance on employment status.

Click on the tiles below to see more information on your rights at work:

Explore your rights

Get help with a problem at work

See practical guidance on what to do if you have a problem at work, or how to support someone who's having a problem at work.

If you're a member of a trade union, you can get advice from specially trained trade union representatives about your legal employment rights and problems at work.

Together with your rep, you can try to resolve your work problem with your line manager (either informally or formally). Your rep can accompany you and support you at any grievance or disciplinary meetings you attend.

See more information about how a trade union can support you with a problem at work and how to join a trade union.

In London, many charities offer independent legal advice without any charge to people who are dealing with problems at work. See a list of advice centres in your area.