Ever taken a paid holiday from work, gone on maternity or paternity leave, or been a part-time or agency worker? If yes, then you have directly benefited from the UK’s EU membership.
From ensuring that you aren’t discriminated against based on your age or a disability, to specific rights relating to collective redundancy consultation. The EU has been a driving force for the UK to introduce legislation that protects your rights at work.
Here is a quick example of just some of your rights which originate from the EU;
– 4 weeks paid annual holiday. Yep that’s right, this comes from the European Working Time Directive.
– Don’t want to work more than 48 hours a week? Well thanks to the EU’s Working Time Directive your employer can’t force you too.
– Thanks to the EU, agency workers have the right to the same basic working conditions as equivalent permanent staff members after they have worked for a business for 12 weeks.
– A part-time or fixed term worker? Well the EU prohibits employers from treating full-time and permanent workers more favourably than you.
– Taken maternity leave? Well that’s a right which originated from the EU.
– Without EU law, workers in the UK would not have been given the right to information and consultation when employer’s propose to make more than 20 redundancies within 90 days.
Yes, some of these things now exist in UK law, but that is in part thanks to the EU. When it comes to protecting you at work, the EU is on your side.
Want to continue enjoying ALL of these rights, then it is crucial that the UK remains a member of the European Union.
