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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…

Part-time workers should not be treated less favourably than full-time workers; employers' responsibilities and what part-time workers can do if they're treated unfairly

Employers might monitor workers, but if the monitoring involves taking data, images or drug testing they have to do this in a way that's legal and fair

• Overview

  Employers might monitor workers. This could be done in various ways, like:…

• Drug testing

  Employers have to have consent if they want to test for drugs. Usually…

• Email, CCTV and other monitoring

  Employers must explain the amount of monitoring clearly in the staff…

The rules on working hours - hour and limits, rests, health assessments and terms and conditions

The rights of agricultural and farm workers - including pay rates, agricultural minimum wage, overtime, holiday leave, rest breaks, help and advice

Minimum wage rates for different types of paid employment - time work, output work, unmeasured work, salaried hours work.

Workers' rights to rest breaks at work - length of breaks, how your age affects rest breaks, exceptions to the rules for shift workers, young people, and drivers.

Holiday entitlement or annual leave - information for employers and workers on entitlement, calculating leave, taking leave, accruing leave and disputes.

As an agency worker, you have certain rights when using temp, recruitment agencies or employment agencies to find work - pay, holidays, equal treatment, fees.

• Updated: 3 September 2026