What your boss, client or main contractor can and can't make you do.
For site workers, apprentices and subbies who suspect they're being shafted and want to know where the line actually is.
Most pay and employment rows on UK sites come down to one thing. The person being pushed doesn't know their rights, and the person doing the pushing is banking on that. These guides, checkers and template letters draw the lines in plain English, so you know when to push back.
Employed or self-employed — the test that decides
HMRC uses several tests: do you control when and how you work? Can you send a substitute? Do you provide your own tools? Can you work for other clients? No single factor decides — it's the overall picture. Getting this wrong can mean backdated tax, NIC, holiday pay, and penalties.
Holiday pay — what you're owed
If you're a worker (not genuinely self-employed), you're entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday per year. Many construction workers classified as self-employed are actually workers under employment law. 'Your day rate includes holiday pay' is often unlawful.
Minimum wage — 2026 rates
From April 2026: £12.71/hour (21+), £10.85 (18–20), £8.00 (under 18), £8.00 (apprentice rate). These are statutory minimums. If you're being paid below these rates, it's a criminal offence by your employer — report it to HMRC.
Notice periods and redundancy
After one month of employment, you're entitled to at least one week's notice. After two years, one week per year of service (up to 12 weeks). Redundancy pay kicks in after two years — half a week's pay per year under 22, one week per year aged 22–40, one and a half weeks per year over 41.
Sick pay and injury
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is £116.75/week for up to 28 weeks (2026). If you're injured at work, your employer's liability insurance should cover your losses. If you're self-employed, you get nothing unless you have income protection insurance.
Discrimination and harassment
The Equality Act 2010 protects you from discrimination based on age, sex, race, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy, and marriage/civil partnership. This applies on site, in interviews, and in how you're treated by colleagues and management.
Deductions from wages
Your employer can only deduct from your wages if it's required by law (tax, NIC), authorised by your contract (and you agreed in writing before the deduction), or you've agreed in writing. Deductions for damaged tools, missing materials, or 'admin fees' are usually unlawful.
Your right to refuse unsafe work
Under Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, you can leave or refuse to return to a workplace where you reasonably believe there is serious and imminent danger. You cannot be dismissed or treated badly for exercising this right.