It’s always a good idea to know exactly where you stand with regards to your rights as an employee, and in the UK workers are protected against discrimination, wrongful, and unfair dismissal.

If you have a specific enquiry or grievance regarding your employment, you may want to contact the Citizens Advice Bureau on 0131 5571500.

General information:
UK law protects employees from being discriminated against because of their sex, race or disability, and these laws apply during the selection, interview and job offer stages (as well as during actual employment).

· With respect to recruitment, treatment in your job, chances for promotion and training, dismissal and redundancy, you cannot be treated differently by your employer because of your sex or because you’re married.
· You can’t be dismissed solely for falling pregnant – your employer has to provide other legitimate reasons for your dismissal.
· Apart from referring to pregnancy, men and women who do the same work are entitled to receive equal treatment in terms of conditions of employment.

If you have held the same job for a year or more, law against unfair dismissal automatically protects you. Either side giving a notice period can only end your employment, unless you are given a fixed period contract. This notice period should be specified in your contract, but must be at least the statutory minimum.

You are entitled to compensation if it is found that you have been unfairly dismissed.
If your employer can prove that:

a. you are at retirement age
b. you have performed a serious misconduct
c. you are incapable of doing your job properly
d. a legal requirement requires it

Then you can generally be dismissed fairly.
Reasons for unfair dismissal can include:

a. if your race or sex has been discriminated against
b. if you tried to join a trade union
c. you are pregnant
d. if you refuse to work in a betting office or shop on a Sunday
e. If for your own safety, you refuse to undertake dangerous activities in which there is a threat of physical injury.

Redundancy is different from dismissal in that when you terminate your employment, another employee doesn’t replace you. Reasons for redundancy include:

a. restructuring of the company
b. merger or sale of the company
c. no further requirement for your department or position

If you have been in the position for a year or more, you are entitled to compensation based on your age, salary and length of service.