The legal nitty gritty behind part-time jobs
Need to find a part-time job to fund your way through uni? Unsure of your rights? Read on…
Under the part-time workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) regulations, part-time workers have the statutory right to be treated the same as comparable full-time workers, that is, workers on the same type of contract with the same employer. This is a right you enjoy from day one of your employment. Read on to find out more about your rights as a student worker.
The National Minimum Wage
As of 1 October 2008 the national mininum wage rates are:
- for workers aged 22 and over – £5.73 per hour
- for workers aged 18 to 21 (development rate) – £4.77 per hour
- for workers under the age of 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age – £3.53 per hour.
The Working Time Regulations
- The right to an in-work rest break if the working day is longer than six hours
- A limit of an average 48-hour working week (you can agree with your employer to work longer this agreement must be in writing and signed by you)
- All workers are entitled to a minimum of four weeks’ paid holiday per year. The pay you receive should be the same as for a normal week’s work.
Students are not exempt from tax
Students pay tax and national insurance just as other workers do but you don’t pay tax on all your earnings. Student grants, student loans, housing benefits, and most scholarships and research awards are not taxed. The standard personal allowance for a single person in the tax year 2007–2008 is £5,225. If you earn less than this you will not need to pay income tax. If you are planning to work in the vacations ONLY and you know your income will not exceed the personal allowance you can ask to sign a P38 to stop tax being deducted or reclaim the money at the end of the tax year.
International students
- Most international students no longer need a permit to work in the UK while registered as a student, although there can be restrictions to the amount and type of work they can undertake
- Students from the EEA can work in the UK without restrictions
- Students from the new Accession states must register to work in the UK
- Students from other countries must check their passport stamp to see if they can work with certain restrictions.
Useful websites
This article is reproduced with the kind permission of NASES, the National Association of Student Employment Services.
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