Am I entitled to redundancy pay?

You are entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you have worked for your employer for at least 2 continuous years. The amount depends on your age, length of service and weekly pay, capped at £751 per week.

What is unfair dismissal?

Unfair dismissal occurs when your employer dismisses you without a fair reason or without following a fair procedure. You need 2 years of service to claim, reducing to 6 months from January 2027.

When is statutory sick pay paid?

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is now paid from Day 1 of illness following the Employment Rights Act 2025. The current rate is £123.25 per week for up to 28 weeks.

⚖ Important — Please Read Before Continuing

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1. This is guidance — and only ever guidance

Everything produced by ukworkrights.co.uk is general guidance. It is not legal advice. It is not a substitute for advice from a qualified solicitor. Never treat it as the final word — use it as a starting point, then check and take responsibility for any action you take.

2. AI can make mistakes

The guidance is generated by artificial intelligence. AI can and does make mistakes — wrong dates, wrong figures, wrong legal references, missed nuances. Read everything carefully. If the matter is serious, get it checked by ACAS, Citizens Advice, or a qualified solicitor before acting on it.

3. Verified figures and guidance sources

Statutory figures (such as rates for minimum wage, SSP, redundancy, pension contributions, council tax bands, flight compensation amounts, and benefit rates) are verified against GOV.UK, ACAS, Citizens Advice, and relevant regulatory bodies. Laws and rates change regularly. Always verify important figures at gov.uk before making decisions or taking action.

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ACAS — Free employment advice: 0300 123 1100 — acas.org.uk
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ICO — Data protection queries: 0303 123 1113 — ico.org.uk
Financial Ombudsman — Financial disputes: 0800 023 4567 — financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Energy Ombudsman — Energy disputes: ombudsman-services.org/energy
NHS — Healthcare guidance: nhs.uk
Veterans UK: 0808 1914 218
Benefits helpline: 0800 169 0310

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🦺 Health & Safety Guide

Health & Safety at Work: Your Rights in 2026

Injured at work, worried about unsafe conditions, or facing pressure to work unsafely? This guide explains your legal rights under health and safety law — including your right to refuse dangerous work.

✅ Last verified: July 2026📚 Sources: GOV.UK, ACAS, HSE, Citizens Advice🇬🇧 Applies across the UK

⚖ Know Your Rights at a Glance

Right to refuse unsafe work: You can refuse work you reasonably believe poses serious and imminent danger. Your employer cannot discipline or dismiss you for this.
Employer duty: Every employer must provide a safe workplace, safe equipment, safe systems of work, and adequate training — under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Risk assessments: Employers must assess and manage risks. Employees with 5+ colleagues must have a written health and safety policy.
RIDDOR: Employers must report certain workplace injuries, deaths and dangerous occurrences to the HSE.
PPE: If your role requires personal protective equipment, your employer must provide it free of charge.
Whistleblowing protection: Raising a genuine health and safety concern is a protected disclosure from day one — dismissal for doing so is automatically unfair.

Your core health and safety rights at work

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, every employer has a duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all employees. This includes:

Safe plant and systems of work
Safe use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances
Adequate information, instruction, training and supervision
A safe place of work with safe access and exit
A safe working environment with adequate welfare facilities

Employers with 5 or more employees must have a written health and safety policy. You have the right to see it.

The right to refuse dangerous work

You have the legal right to leave your workplace and refuse to return if you reasonably believe there is serious and imminent danger that you could not reasonably be expected to avert. You must not be disciplined or dismissed for doing so.

This is a day-one right — no qualifying period applies. If your employer dismisses or detriments you for raising a health and safety concern or refusing dangerous work, the dismissal is automatically unfair and your claim for detriment has no qualifying period.

Reporting accidents and RIDDOR

Employers must report certain workplace incidents to the HSE under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013):

Deaths at work
Specified serious injuries (fractures, amputations, loss of sight, crush injuries)
Over-7-day incapacitation injuries (employee cannot do normal duties for more than 7 consecutive days)
Occupational diseases
Dangerous occurrences (near misses)

If you are injured at work, you should report it to your employer and ask for it to be recorded in the accident book. Keep a copy. This record is important for any future compensation claim.

Compensation for workplace injuries

If you are injured at work due to your employer's negligence or breach of statutory duty, you may be able to claim compensation. Key points:

Employers are required by law to have employers' liability insurance — they must be able to pay compensation if you are injured
Personal injury claims must generally be brought within 3 years of the injury or date of knowledge
For COSHH (chemical/substance exposure) claims, the time limit runs from when you knew or ought to have known about the injury
You can also make a claim via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) if injured as a result of a crime of violence at work

Report the hazard in writing immediately

Email your manager or safety rep. Note the date, exact hazard, and any previous reports. This creates a paper trail.

Contact your health and safety representative

If there is a union H&S rep, they can inspect the workplace and raise issues formally with the employer. This is a legal right.

Report to the HSE if your employer won't act

You can report health and safety concerns to the HSE at hse.gov.uk or 0300 003 1747. The HSE can inspect, issue improvement notices and prosecute.

Report to your local authority for some workplaces

Retail, offices, catering and leisure premises are regulated by your local council rather than the HSE.

Raise a grievance if you face detriment

If you are disciplined, dismissed or treated worse for raising H&S concerns, raise a formal grievance and contact ACAS immediately.

Seek legal advice for personal injury claims

A specialist personal injury solicitor can advise on whether you have a claim. Many operate on a no-win no-fee basis.

🦺 Check Your Health & Safety Rights

Describe your workplace situation and get guidance on your health and safety rights.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I refuse to do something unsafe at work?

Yes. If you reasonably believe there is serious and imminent danger, you can leave or refuse to return. Your employer cannot dismiss or discipline you for this — it is automatically unfair and a day-one right.

My employer has no health and safety policy — is that legal?

Employers with 5 or more employees must have a written H&S policy. If yours doesn't, report to the HSE.

I was injured at work — what should I do?

Report immediately to your employer and ensure it's recorded in the accident book. Seek medical attention. Keep records of your injury, treatment, and any impact on your earnings. Consider getting legal advice on a compensation claim within 3 years.

What is a risk assessment and am I entitled to see it?

A risk assessment identifies hazards and measures to control them. You have the right to be informed of the significant findings of risk assessments that affect you.

Can I contact the HSE anonymously?

Yes. You can report health and safety concerns to the HSE anonymously at hse.gov.uk/contact/concerns.

What PPE am I entitled to?

If your role requires PPE (hard hat, gloves, high-vis, safety boots etc.), your employer must provide it free of charge and ensure it is properly maintained.

My employer ignored my H&S concern and nothing changed — what next?

Escalate to the HSE or your local authority. If you face detriment for raising it, contact ACAS — dismissal for H&S whistleblowing is automatically unfair.

📞 Free help and support

HSE: 0300 003 1747 | hse.gov.uk

ACAS: 0300 123 1100

Citizens Advice: 0800 144 8848

TUC (trade union H&S): tuc.org.uk

⚠ Important disclaimer: This guide covers health and safety law across the UK as at July 2026. General legal information only — not legal advice. Verify with ACAS, GOV.UK or Citizens Advice before acting. ukworkrights.co.uk — Not a law firm.