Labour law

Labour law as a whole has become one of the largest, most complex and most rapidly developing areas of law. It covers all areas of employment from taking on staff, pay and pensions, management of staff, improving staff performance, industrial disputes, equal opportunities, grievances, disciplinary and dismissals.

The basic feature of labour law is that the rights and obligations of the employee and the employer towards each other are contained in the contract of employment. The terms and conditions of the contract are a combination of express provisions and others implied by legislation or common law. The contract of employment allows the employee to know exactly what to expect and what is expected - in terms of wages, holiday rights, notice in the event of dismissal, job description and so on. There is no legal requirement in the UK for an employer to provide a contract of employment; however, there is a requirement to provide a statement of employment which is often satisfied through the contract.

Some labour law is governed by the European Union; for example, the European Working Time Directive limited the maximum length of a working week to 48 hours in seven days, and a minimum rest period of 11 hours in each 24 hours. Although the directive applies to all member states, in the UK it is possible to opt out of the 48-hour working week in order to work longer hours.

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