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Work Conditions in the United Kingdom

Work conditions are certainly good in the UK. Accompanied with the UK’s high standard of living, work conditions offer employees a very comfortable experience in the UK. (Do You Need Permission to Work in UK?)

Holiday entitlements


From 1 April 2009 all workers have a statutory right to at least 5.6 weeks’ paid annual leave (that is at least 28 days' paid holiday if you work five days a week). Your employer could choose to include bank holidays in the 5.6 weeks. (Contract Types in UK Job Market)


There is a minimum right to paid holiday, but your employer may offer more than this. The main things you should know about holiday rights are:

 You are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks times your usual working week

 Those working part time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata (so 5.6 times your usual working week)

 You start building up holiday as soon as you start work

 Your employer can control when you take your holiday

 You get paid your normal pay for your holiday

 When you finish a job, you get paid for any holiday you have not taken

 and public holidays can be included in your minimum entitlement

 You continue to be entitled to your holiday leave throughout your ordinary and additional maternity leave and paternity and adoption leave.

Overtime pay


Overtime generally means any work over the basic working hours included in your contract. Regulations say you should not have to work more than 48 hours a week on average, unless you choose to, or work in a sector with its own special rules. This agreement must be in writing and signed by you.

There's no legal right to pay for working extra hours, and there are no minimum statutory levels of overtime pay, although your average pay rate must not fall below the National Minimum Wage. Your contract of employment should include details of overtime pay rates and how they are worked out.
Overtime rates vary from employer to employer, some will pay extra for working weekends or Bank Holidays, and others won't.

Health benefits


Most of your medical expenses will be taken care of by the government. If you have not been able to afford any contribution towards a medical insurance and stay in UK, the government of UK will pay for all your medical requirements even if it means that you have to undergo a very costly surgery which is life saving. Not many countries have these benefits to help you with crucial medical requirements. This is just some of the reasons why moving to UK is a great decision.

In Scotland

Regarding working hours, an enduring myth is that working hours have increased dramatically over time. In fact, average weekly working hours have changed very little in the past decade. In 2006 basic working hours (excluding overtime) were 37 hours.

Do make sure you have whatever working conditions agreed upon with your employer clearly written in the contract, to avoid any future misunderstandings with the company. Having everything in black and white definitely avoids disputes.

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