ConsumerWise hub

Employment

Practical workplace rights and dispute routes: identify the problem, the right that applies, the evidence to preserve, what the employer may argue and what to do next.

Reviewed 11 September 2026Great Britain focus

Workplace problems

Start with the problem, not the legal label.

Employment is a large area, but most people arrive with a practical problem: missing pay, sickness, a grievance, discrimination, changed hours, a disciplinary process, redundancy or dismissal. Choose the route that matches what actually happened, then follow the links where issues overlap.

Key points

  • Employment status can affect which rights apply, but it is only the starting point.
  • Internal HR procedures do not normally pause Acas or tribunal time limits.
  • One set of facts can create several legal strands - for example disability, sickness, capability and dismissal.
  • ConsumerWise focuses on disputes, evidence and routes rather than acting as an HR policy library.

Employment guidance

Pay, hours & time off

Pay, leave and working-pattern problems.

Pay and deductionsUnpaid wages, deductions, overpayments, commission and payroll disputes.Holiday & holiday payEntitlement, holiday pay, refusals, carry-over and irregular-hours rules.Sickness absence & sick paySSP, fit notes, absence triggers, long-term sickness and capability.Working time, breaks & hoursRest breaks, daily/weekly rest, 48-hour limits, opt-outs and night work.Flexible workingStatutory requests, consultation, refusal reasons and discrimination overlap.Pregnancy, maternity & family leavePregnancy rights, family leave/pay, return to work and redundancy protection.

Employment guidance

Treatment, equality & speaking up

Problems about how you are treated at work.

Bullying and harassmentBullying, hostile conduct and when Equality Act harassment applies.Discrimination & harassment at workDirect/indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation.Discrimination and reasonable adjustmentsDisability disadvantage, adjustments and unsupported refusals.WhistleblowingProtected disclosures, public interest, detriment and dismissal.Workplace monitoring and privacyCCTV, email, productivity monitoring and worker data rights.

Employment guidance

Processes, performance & changes

Internal processes and changes to the working relationship.

GrievancesRaise, investigate and appeal a formal workplace complaint.Disciplinary proceduresInvestigation, allegations, hearings, sanctions and appeals.Performance, capability & probationPIPs, capability, probation, support, adjustments and dismissal risk.Changes to employment contractsChanges to pay, hours, duties, location and fire-and-rehire issues.Employment statusEmployee, worker or self-employed: how status changes the rights available.

Employment guidance

Ending employment

Dismissal, redundancy and resignation.

Dismissal and unfair dismissalReason, procedure, qualifying service and automatic-unfair exceptions.RedundancyConsultation, pools, selection, alternatives, notice and redundancy pay.Resignation & constructive dismissalSerious employer breach, resignation, timing and why advice matters before leaving.

Employment guidance

Evidence, Acas & enforcement

Build the record and protect the external route.

Employment SARs / HR recordsHR files, emails, investigations, monitoring data and missing records.ACAS and early conciliationPre-claim conciliation, COT3 and limitation.Employment tribunal claimsET1, jurisdiction, evidence, hearings and remedies.

Current transition dates matter.

Employment law is changing quickly. As at 11 September 2026, most employment tribunal claims whose limitation period starts before 1 October 2026 remain under the existing three-month-minus-one-day framework. For most relevant time limits starting on or after 1 October 2026, the period increases to six months minus one day.

Ordinary unfair-dismissal qualifying service is still usually two years for dismissals before 1 January 2027. The government has confirmed that for dismissals from 1 January 2027 this will reduce to six months and the compensatory award cap will be removed. Other rights already changed on 6 April 2026, including SSP, paternity leave, ordinary parental leave and whistleblowing protection for disclosures about sexual harassment.

Some older routes remain as crossover pages.

ConsumerWise keeps established URLs for Grievances & disciplinary action, Pay/wages & deductions, Dismissal & redundancy and Acas & employment tribunals. They now act as diagnostic bridges into the more detailed canonical guides rather than competing with them.

Official sources

Check the current official source material.

Employment rights and transition dates can change. Check the current official source and the date of the workplace event before relying on a qualifying period, time limit or statutory rate.