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Employment status (worker, employee, self-employed, director or contractor) affects employment rights and employer responsibilities in the workplace

• Overview

  In employment law a person’s employment status helps determine: their…

• Worker

  A person is generally classed as a ‘worker’ if: they have a contract or…

• Employee

  An employee is someone who works under an employment contract. A person…

• Employee shareholders

  An employee shareholder is someone who works under an employment contract…

• Self-employed and contractor

  A person is self-employed if they run their business for themselves and…

• Director

  Company directors run limited companies on behalf of shareholders.…

• Office holder

  A person who’s been appointed to a position by a company or organisation…

• Legal decisions on employment status

  A court or employment tribunal (known as an industrial tribunal in…

Who can set up employee ownership, employee shares and engagement, employee directors, model documentation

A contract is an agreement between employee and employer setting out implied and explicit terms and conditions - written statement of particulars, collective agreements

• Overview

  All employees have an employment contract with their employer. A contract…

• Contract terms

  The legal parts of a contract are known as ‘terms’. An employer should…

• Collective agreements

  An employer may have an agreement with employees’ representatives (from…

• Written statement of employment particulars

  An employer must give employees and workers a document stating the main…

• Problems with a written statement

  If an employee or worker has a problem receiving their written statement,…

When a business changes owner, employees could be protected under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE) - types of transfers, your rights, contracts, redundancy, where to get help

Employee rights and employer legal obligations - the Information and Consultation of Employee regulations, setting up information and consultation agreements, complaints

Guidance you should consider when considering the employee shareholder employment status.

• Updated: 23 November 2016

Personal data an employer can keep about an employee, and employee rights to see this information under data protection rules

Find out about the different rules that apply to some employment types to decide your employee’s entitlement of Statutory Neonatal Care Pay.

• Updated: 20 June 2025

Employees' rights at work under fixed-term contracts - and what happens if a contract is renewed or ended

How to dismiss staff fairly, working within dismissal rules and dealing with dismissals relating to whistleblowing