united kingdom

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2022 Score

88

Score Increase

2020 Score

81

Rating

Approaching
Decent Work

Fair
Wages

60

Decent
Working Hours

80

Employment
Security

40

Family
Responsibilities

100

Maternity
at Work

100

Safe
Work

100

Social
Security

100

Fair
Treatment

100

Child &
Forced Labour

100

Trade
Union

100

1. Fair Wages
2. Decent Working Hours
3. Employment Security
4. Family Responsibilities
5. Maternity at Work
6. Safe Work
7. Social Security
8. Fair Treatment
9. Child & Forced Labour
10. Trade Union

Fair Wages

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law prescribe minimum wage rates in the country?Yes1The National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999; National Minimum Wage Act, 1998
Does the law require regular payment of wages?Yes1§1 & 8-10 of Employee Rights Act 1996; Regulation 10 of the National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999
Does the law require overtime compensation be at least 125% of the regular hourly rate?No0No applicable legal provisions could be located
Does the law require additional compensation for working on a weekly rest day?Yes1§21 and 24 of the Working Time Regulations, 1998
Does the law require additional compensation for night work?No0No applicable legal provisions could be located

Decent Working Hours

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law stipulate general working hours as 48 hours or lower?Yes1§234 of Employment Rights Act (ERA), 1996; Regulation 4 of the Working Time Regulations 1998
Does the law restrict maximum working hours including overtime to 56 hours per week?Yes1§4 of the Working Time Regulations 1998
Does the law require a weekly rest of at least 24 hours?Yes1§11 & 23 of the Working Time Regulations 1998
Does the law require paid public holidays?No0No applicable legal provisions could be located
Does the law require at least three working weeks of paid annual leave?Yes1§13 & 13-A, 15, 16 & 18 of Working Time Regulations 1998

Employment Security

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law require written employment contracts or at least written employment particulars?Yes1§1-4 of Employment Rights Act (ERA), 1996
Does the law restrict the hiring of fixed-term contract workers?Yes1Regulation 8 (2 & 5) of the Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002
Does the law limit the length of probation period including renewals to a maximum of 3 months?No0§108 of the ERA amended by the Unfair Dismissal and Statement of Reasons for Dismissal (Variation of Qualifying Period) Order 2012)
Does the law require a 30-day notice before contract termination?No0§108 of the Employment Rights Act (ERA), 1996
Does the law require severance pay at the rate of at least 2 weeks of wages for every year of service?No0§135, 155 & 162 of the Employment Rights Act (ERA), 1996; Schedule to the Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2011

Family Responsibilities

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law require parental leave for parents?Yes1§76-77 of ERA, 1996; The Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations, 1999; Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018
Does the law require at least one week of paid paternity leave for fathers?Yes1§80A & 80AA of ERA, 1996; §45 of the Paternity and Adoption Leave (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2014
Does the law require flexible work arrangements for workers with family responsibilities?Yes1§80(F-H) of Employment Rights Act 1996; The Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) Regulations 2002
Does the law require paid nursing breaks?Yes1Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992; §71-73 of Employment Rights Act 1996

Maternity at Work

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law prohibits inquiring about pregnancy during recruitment?Yes1§39 of the Equality Act, 2010
Does the law require paid maternity leave of at least 14 weeks?Yes1§71-73 of Employment Rights Act 1996
Does the law require cash maternity benefit be at least 67% of a worker's former wage?Yes1§2-6 of The Statutory Maternity Pay (General) Regulations, 1986; The Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999
Does the law require maternity benefit be paid through contributory social insurance or universal benefits system?Yes1§2-6 of The Statutory Maternity Pay (General) Regulations, 1986; The Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999
Does the law protect workers from dismissals during or on account of pregnancy?Yes1§99 of the Employment Rights Act 1996; §20 of the Maternity and Parental Leave etc Regulations 1999

Safe Work

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law require provision of free personal protective equipment to workers from employer?Yes1§2(2e) & Schedule III of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, 1974; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
Does the law require the employer to train workers on health and safety issues?Yes1§2(2c & 3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, 1974
Does the law restrict work that is prejudicial to the health of the mother or the child?Yes1Regulation 16-18 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Does the law provide for employment injury benefit?Yes1§94-111 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992

Social Security

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law provide for an old age pension?Yes1Pensions Act 2014; §43-55 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992
Does the law provide for a dependants'/survivors' pension?Yes1Pensions Act 2014; §36-42 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992
Does the law provide for unemployment benefit?Yes1§25-30 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992
Does the law require paid sick leave for the first 6 months of sickness?Yes1§31-32 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992
Does the law provide for invalidity benefit?Yes1§33-34 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; Pensions Act 2014

Fair Treatment

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law require equal remuneration for work of equal value?Yes1§64-71 of the Equality Act 2010; Equal Opportunities Act 2006
Does the law prohibit sexual harassment in employment?Yes1§26(2), 40, 120(1)(a) and 124(2)(b) of the Equality Act 2010; §26 of the Employment Rights Act 1996
Does the law prohibit discrimination in employment matters?Yes1§4, 9, 13 & 19 of the Equality Act 2010; §13 & 19 of the Employment Rights Act 1996; Employment (Sex Discrimination) Act 2000
Does the law allow women to do the same jobs as men?Yes1No restrictive legal provisions could be located
Does the law guarantee basic labour protections for gig economy workers?Yes1Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; Pensions Act 2014

Child & Forced Labour

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law prohibit employment of children?Yes1Children and Young Persons Act 1933
Does the law set employment entry age equal to or higher than the compulsory schooling age?Yes1§8 of the Education Act, 1996
Does the law prohibit the employment of children in hazardous work under the age of 18 years?Yes1§3(4) & 19 of the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999
Does the law prohibit forced labour?Yes1Employment Rights Act 1996; Regulation 4 of the Working Time Regulations 1998

Trade Union

QuestionAnswerScoreLegal Basis
Does the law allow workers to form and join unions of their own choice?Yes1§47 of the Employment Rights Act 1996; Trade Union Act, 2016
Does the law allow workers to bargain collectively with employers through their representative unions?Yes1§70A-70C & 178 of Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992; Trade Union Act, 2016
Does the law provide for the right to strike?Yes1§226, 229, 237 & 238, Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992; §8-9,Trade Union Act, 2016; CEACR, C87, Obs. 2018; USDOS CRHRP 2021
Does the law prohibit employers from terminating employment contracts of striking workers?Yes1§229, 237 & 238, Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act after amendment; §26 of Employment Relations Act 2004; The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, Regulation 7