Your rights in work
Juggling work and care can be very challenging.
It’s important to find out about your rights and
about any support that is available.
Your rights at work come from two
sources:
• the law gives you ‘statutory
rights’ which everyone has
• your contract of employment
gives you ‘contractual rights’,
which can be more generous
than statutory rights
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The following information is
about statutory rights. However
it is always worth checking your
contract of employment, staff
handbook or letter of appointment
to see if you have any contractual
rights on top of your statutory
rights.
All employees have a right to
request flexible working after
they have worked for the same
employer for 26 weeks (six
months), as long as they haven’t
already made a flexible working
request within the last 12 months.
Employers can only refuse requests
for certain specified reasons.
Examples of flexible working
include:
• home working
• part-time working
• term-time working
• flexitime
• working compressed hours
• job sharing
• shift work
The Equality Act 2010 provides
carers with protection from some
forms of discrimination. For
example, employers and providers
of goods and services must
not treat carers less favourably
than those without caring
responsibilities.
All employees have the right to
take a ‘reasonable’ amount of time
off work to deal with an emergency
or an unforeseen matter involving
a dependent (which includes
your partner, child or parent, or
someone living with you as part of
your family – others who rely on
you for help in an emergency may
also qualify).
The time off is unpaid unless your
employer is willing to give paid time
off as a contractual right.
Looking after someone
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