Overview

If

you

’re

a

worker

and

you

’ve

tried

solving

a

problem

or

concern

informally

by

talking

to

your

manager

but

you

’re

not

satisfied

you

can

make

a

formal

grievance

complaint

in

writing

Your

employer

should

have

a

written

grievance

procedure

that

tells

you

what

to

do

and

what

happens

at

each

stage

of

the

process

After

raising

the

grievance

you

’ll

have

a

meeting

to

discuss

the

issue

You

can

appeal

if

you

do

not

agree

with

your

employer

’s

decision

Read

Acas

’s

guide

to

discipline

and

grievances

at

work

Mediation

can

also

help

resolve

a

problem

this

can

take

place

at

any

time

during

the

dispute

Following

the

Acas

code

of

practice

You

and

your

employer

should

follow

the

Acas

code

of

practice

on

disciplinary

and

grievance

procedures

Otherwise

if

you

take

your

claim

to

an

employment

tribunal

any

compensation

you

might

get

could

be

adjusted

by

up

to

Grievance

procedure

Your

employer

should

put

their

grievance

procedure

in

writing

and

share

it

with

all

staff

such

as

on

the

company

intranet

or

in

the

HR

manual

It

should

include

information

about

how

to

set

out

the

details

of

your

grievance

in

writing

who

to

send

your

letter

to

who

to

write

to

if

the

normal

contact

person

is

involved

in

the

grievance

a

meeting

with

your

employer

to

discuss

the

issue

how

to

appeal

your

employer

’s

decision

how

long

each

stage

should

take

Mediation

Mediation

is

when

an

independent

impartial

third

party

discusses

a

problem

with

you

and

your

employer

or

between

you

and

another

employee

to

try

and

find

a

solution

It

’s

often

used

after

informal

discussions

have

not

solved

the

issue

Mediation

is

voluntary

and

confidential

The

mediator

can

not

force

you

or

your

employer

to

accept

a

solution

both

parties

must

agree

on

the

way

to

solve

the

dispute

It

should

not

be

used

for

problems

that

have

to

be

formally

investigated

such

as

harassment

or

discrimination

Read

the

Acas

guide

on

mediation

for

more

information

You

can

find

a

mediation

service

in

your

area

Grievance

meetings

What

happens

at

the

meeting

The

aim

of

the

meeting

is

to

establish

the

facts

and

find

a

way

to

resolve

the

problem

Your

employer

will

run

the

meeting

They

’ll

normally

go

through

the

grievance

and

give

the

worker

the

chance

to

comment

You

can

bring

supporting

documents

if

you

want

Who

can

attend

meetings

with

you

You

can

be

accompanied

to

grievance

meetings

and

any

appeal

meetings

by

a

colleague

trade

union

representative

You

may

also

be

able

to

bring

a

family

member

or

Citizens

Advice

Bureau

worker

depending

on

the

HR

procedure

where

you

work

After

the

meeting

Afterwards

the

employer

will

write

to

you

setting

out

their

decision

along

with

details

of

any

action

they

intend

to

take

information

about

how

to

appeal

Appealing

a

grievance

decision

Your

employer

’s

grievance

procedure

will

set

out

who

you

should

submit

your

appeal

to

the

time

limit

within

which

an

appeal

must

be

made

information

about

any

meetings

that

will

be

held

how

the

appeal

meeting

will

be

run

You

have

the

right

to

be

accompanied

during

any

appeal

meetings

If

possible

a

manager

who

has

not

been

involved

in

the

process

should

handle

the

appeal

After

the

appeal

meeting

your

employer

should

write

to

you

setting

out

their

final

decision


Overview

The

Additional

State

Pension

is

an

extra

amount

of

money

you

could

get

on

top

of

your

basic

State

Pension

if

you

’re

a

man

born

before

April

a

woman

born

before

April

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

You

get

the

new

State

Pension

if

you

were

born

on

or

after

this

date

You

will

not

qualify

for

the

Additional

State

Pension

but

you

might

still

be

able

to

inherit

Additional

State

Pension

from

your

partner

You

get

the

Additional

State

Pension

automatically

if

you

’re

eligible

for

it

unless

you

’ve

contracted

out

of

it

The

Additional

State

Pension

is

paid

with

your

basic

State

Pension

What

you

'll

get

There

is

no

fixed

amount

for

the

Additional

State

Pension

How

much

you

get

depends

on

how

many

years

you

paid

National

Insurance

for

your

earnings

whether

you

’ve

contracted

out

of

the

scheme

whether

you

topped

up

your

basic

State

Pension

this

was

only

possible

between

October

and

April

How

you

’re

paid

The

Additional

State

Pension

is

paid

with

your

basic

State

Pension

into

your

bank

account

Eligibility

You

reached

State

Pension

age

on

or

after

April

You

will

not

get

the

Additional

State

Pension

if

you

reached

State

Pension

age

on

or

after

April

You

’ll

get

the

new

State

Pension

You

reached

State

Pension

age

before

April

If

you

reached

State

Pension

age

before

April

and

started

claiming

the

basic

State

Pension

you

’ll

automatically

get

any

Additional

State

Pension

you

’re

eligible

for

There

is

no

need

to

make

a

separate

claim

You

may

not

get

any

Additional

State

Pension

for

periods

when

you

were

contracted

out

of

it

When

you

have

contributed

to

the

Additional

State

Pension

The

Additional

State

Pension

is

made

up

of

schemes

You

might

have

contributed

to

more

than

one

depending

on

how

long

you

’ve

been

working

whether

you

chose

to

top

up

your

State

Pension

Time

Scheme

You

contributed

if

to

State

Second

Pension

You

were

employed

or

claiming

certain

benefits

to

State

Earnings

Related

Pension

Scheme

SERPS

You

were

employed

October

to

April

State

Pension

top

up

You

reached

State

Pension

age

before

April

and

opted

in

The

State

Second

Pension

since

You

contributed

through

your

National

Insurance

contributions

if

at

any

time

between

April

and

April

you

were

employed

and

earning

at

least

the

lower

earnings

limit

this

was

in

the

to

tax

year

looking

after

children

under

and

claiming

Child

Benefit

caring

for

a

sick

or

disabled

person

more

than

hours

a

week

and

claiming

Carer

’s

Credit

working

as

a

registered

foster

carer

and

claiming

Carer

’s

Credit

receiving

certain

other

benefits

due

to

illness

or

disability

Contracting

out

You

could

only

contract

out

of

the

Additional

State

Pension

if

your

employer

ran

a

contracted

out

pension

scheme

Check

with

them

While

you

were

a

member

of

a

contracted

out

workplace

pension

you

did

not

contribute

to

the

Additional

State

Pension

In

some

cases

you

could

get

the

Second

State

Pension

even

if

you

did

not

contribute

for

example

if

your

earnings

were

low

You

can

not

contract

out

after

April

If

you

were

contracted

out

your

National

Insurance

contributions

increased

to

your

standard

rate

after

this

date

The

extra

pension

you

get

from

a

contracted

out

pension

scheme

is

usually

the

same

as

or

more

than

the

Additional

State

Pension

you

would

have

got

if

you

did

not

contract

out

Check

if

you

were

contracted

out

You

can

find

out

if

you

were

contracted

out

by

checking

an

old

payslip

calling

your

pension

provider

The

Pension

Tracing

Service

might

be

able

to

find

your

pension

providers

contact

details

if

you

’ve

lost

contact

with

them

National

Insurance

while

contracting

out

You

paid

lower

National

Insurance

contributions

while

you

were

contracted

out

if

you

earned

between

and

a

week

you

were

under

State

Pension

age

you

did

not

pay

reduced

rate

National

Insurance

What

happens

when

you

retire

You

’ll

get

a

pension

from

your

employer

’s

workplace

pension

scheme

How

to

claim

You

do

not

have

to

do

anything

to

claim

the

Additional

State

Pension

If

you

’re

eligible

for

an

Additional

State

Pension

you

’ll

automatically

get

it

when

you

claim

your

State

Pension

After

you

claim

the

Pension

Service

will

write

to

you

and

tell

you

how

much

you

’re

getting

Inheriting

Additional

State

Pension

If

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

dies

you

may

be

able

to

inherit

part

of

their

Additional

State

Pension

Contact

the

Pension

Service

to

check

what

you

can

claim

and

how

Maximum

State

Second

Pension

you

can

inherit

You

can

inherit

up

to

of

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

’s

State

Second

Pension

Maximum

SERPS

pension

and

State

Pension

top

up

you

can

inherit

The

maximum

you

can

inherit

depends

on

when

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

died

If

they

died

before

October

you

can

inherit

up

to

of

their

SERPS

pension

If

they

died

on

or

after

October

the

maximum

SERPS

pension

and

State

Pension

top

up

you

can

inherit

depends

on

their

date

of

birth

Man

’s

date

of

birth

Woman

’s

date

of

birth

Maximum

of

SERPS

and

State

Pension

top

up

you

can

inherit

October

or

before

October

or

before

October

to

October

October

to

October

October

to

October

October

to

October

October

to

October

October

to

October

October

to

October

October

to

July

October

and

after

July

and

after

If

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

died

within

days

of

topping

up

their

State

Pension

the

top

up

should

have

been

refunded

to

their

estate

their

total

property

money

and

possessions

minus

any

payments

they

received

before

they

died

This

means

you

will

not

inherit

the

top

up

as

part

of

their

Additional

State

Pension

How

it

’s

paid

Any

Additional

State

Pension

you

inherit

will

be

paid

on

top

of

your

State

Pension

when

you

reach

State

Pension

age

If

you

get

your

own

Additional

State

Pension

The

maximum

amount

of

Additional

State

Pension

you

can

get

is

per

week

The

limit

does

not

include

State

Pension

top

up

If

you

get

Widowed

Parent

’s

Allowance

You

may

inherit

Additional

State

Pension

before

you

reach

State

Pension

age

You

’ll

stop

receiving

it

if

your

Widowed

Parent

’s

Allowance

ends

You

may

receive

it

again

when

you

reach

State

Pension

age

if

you

were

over

when

you

were

entitled

to

Widowed

Parent

’s

Allowance

If

your

Widowed

Parent

’s

Allowance

or

Bereavement

Allowance

ended

before

you

were

you

’ll

receive

less

Additional

State

Pension

When

you

can

not

inherit

Additional

State

Pension

You

can

not

inherit

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

’s

Additional

State

Pension

if

you

remarry

or

form

another

civil

partnership

before

you

reach

State

Pension

age

The

date

you

reach

State

Pension

age

also

affects

whether

you

can

inherit

Additional

State

Pension

If

you

reached

State

Pension

age

before

April

You

can

not

inherit

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

’s

Additional

State

Pension

if

they

died

before

they

reached

their

State

Pension

age

and

after

you

reached

yours

This

does

not

apply

if

you

’re

a

woman

who

was

married

to

a

man

a

woman

who

legally

changed

their

gender

from

male

to

female

during

your

marriage

If

you

reached

State

Pension

age

on

or

after

April

You

can

not

inherit

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

’s

Additional

State

Pension

if

either

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

died

on

or

after

April

and

reached

or

would

have

reached

State

Pension

age

on

or

after

April

you

started

your

marriage

or

civil

partnership

on

or

after

April

If

you

get

divorced

If

you

get

divorced

or

your

civil

partnership

is

dissolved

the

court

can

decide

that

your

Additional

State

Pension

should

be

shared

as

part

of

the

financial

settlement

You

’ll

have

to

fill

in

form

to

give

details

of

your

Additional

State

Pension


Overview

Personal

pensions

are

pensions

that

you

arrange

yourself

They

’re

sometimes

known

as

defined

contribution

or

money

purchase

pensions

You

’ll

usually

get

a

pension

that

’s

based

on

how

much

was

paid

in

Some

employers

offer

personal

pensions

as

workplace

pensions

The

money

you

pay

into

a

personal

pension

is

put

into

investments

such

as

shares

by

the

pension

provider

The

money

you

’ll

get

from

a

personal

pension

usually

depends

on

how

much

has

been

paid

in

how

the

fund

’s

investments

have

performed

they

can

go

up

or

down

how

you

decide

to

take

your

money

Types

of

personal

pension

There

are

different

types

of

personal

pension

They

include

stakeholder

pensions

these

must

meet

specific

government

requirements

for

example

limits

on

charges

self

invested

personal

pensions

SIPPs

these

allow

you

to

control

the

specific

investments

that

make

up

your

pension

fund

You

should

check

that

your

provider

is

registered

with

the

Financial

Conduct

Authority

FCA

or

the

Pensions

Regulator

if

it

’s

a

stakeholder

pension

Paying

into

a

personal

pension

You

can

either

make

regular

or

individual

lump

sum

payments

to

a

pension

provider

They

will

send

you

annual

statements

telling

you

how

much

your

fund

is

worth

You

usually

get

tax

relief

on

money

you

pay

into

a

pension

Check

with

your

provider

that

your

pension

scheme

is

registered

with

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

if

it

’s

not

registered

you

wo

n’t

get

tax

relief

Choosing

a

personal

pension

Citizens

Advice

has

information

about

choosing

a

personal

pension

Independent

financial

advice

You

can

find

an

independent

financial

adviser

from

Unbiased

from

the

Personal

Finance

Society

You

’ll

usually

have

to

pay

for

this

advice

How

you

can

take

your

pension

Most

personal

pensions

set

an

age

when

you

can

start

taking

money

from

them

It

’s

not

normally

before

Contact

your

pension

provider

if

you

’re

not

sure

when

you

can

take

your

pension

You

can

take

up

to

of

the

money

built

up

in

your

pension

as

a

tax

free

lump

sum

You

’ll

then

have

months

to

start

taking

the

remaining

which

you

’ll

usually

pay

tax

on

The

options

you

have

for

taking

the

rest

of

your

pension

pot

include

taking

all

or

some

of

it

as

cash

buying

a

product

that

gives

give

you

a

guaranteed

income

sometimes

known

as

an

annuity

for

life

investing

it

to

get

a

regular

adjustable

income

sometimes

known

as

flexi

access

drawdown

Ask

your

pension

provider

which

options

they

offer

they

may

not

offer

all

of

them

If

you

do

n’t

want

to

take

any

of

their

options

you

can

transfer

your

pension

pot

to

a

different

provider

Taxes

and

charges

Your

pension

provider

will

take

off

any

tax

you

owe

before

you

get

money

from

your

pension

pot

You

might

have

to

pay

a

higher

rate

of

tax

if

you

take

large

amounts

from

your

pension

pot

You

could

also

owe

extra

tax

at

the

end

of

the

tax

year

Your

pension

provider

might

charge

you

for

withdrawing

cash

from

your

pension

pot

check

with

them

about

this

Get

regular

payments

from

an

annuity

You

might

be

able

to

buy

an

annuity

from

an

insurance

company

that

gives

you

regular

payments

for

life

You

can

ask

your

pension

provider

to

pay

for

it

out

of

your

pension

pot

The

amount

you

get

can

vary

It

depends

on

how

long

the

insurance

company

expects

you

to

live

and

how

many

years

they

’ll

have

to

pay

you

When

they

calculate

the

amount

they

should

take

into

account

your

age

and

gender

the

size

of

your

pension

pot

interest

rates

your

health

sometimes

There

are

different

kinds

of

annuities

Some

are

for

a

fixed

time

for

example

payments

for

years

instead

of

your

lifetime

and

some

continue

paying

your

spouse

or

partner

after

you

die

You

do

n’t

have

to

buy

your

annuity

from

your

pension

provider

Invest

the

money

in

a

drawdown

fund

You

may

be

able

to

ask

your

pension

provider

to

invest

your

pension

pot

in

a

flexi

access

drawdown

fund

From

a

flexi

access

drawdown

fund

you

can

make

withdrawals

buy

a

short

term

annuity

this

will

give

you

regular

payments

for

up

to

years

pay

in

but

you

’ll

pay

tax

on

contributions

over

a

year

Keeping

your

capped

drawdown

fund

If

you

have

a

capped

drawdown

fund

and

want

to

keep

it

your

money

will

stay

invested

You

can

keep

withdrawing

and

paying

in

Your

pension

provider

sets

a

maximum

amount

you

can

take

out

every

year

This

limit

will

be

reviewed

every

years

until

you

turn

then

every

year

after

that

Withdraw

cash

from

your

pension

pot

You

may

be

able

to

take

cash

directly

from

your

pension

pot

You

could

withdraw

your

whole

pension

pot

withdraw

smaller

cash

sums

pay

in

but

you

’ll

pay

tax

on

contributions

over

a

year

When

you

ca

n’t

withdraw

cash

You

ca

n’t

take

smaller

cash

sums

if

any

of

the

following

apply

you

’ve

already

saved

in

pension

schemes

over

your

lifetime

your

lifetime

allowance

you

have

some

type

of

lifetime

allowance

protection

you

’re

under

and

the

sums

you

want

to

withdraw

are

bigger

than

the

amount

of

lifetime

allowance

you

have

left

Get

help

Contact

your

pension

provider

first

if

you

need

help

with

a

personal

pension

If

they

ca

n’t

help

you

can

get

free

and

impartial

information

from

The

Pensions

Advisory

Service

they

do

n’t

provide

financial

advice

Financial

advice

You

can

find

a

financial

adviser

if

you

want

advice

You

’ll

usually

have

to

pay

for

their

services

If

you

’re

over

Pension

Wise

has

information

about

your

pension

options

If

you

’re

over

you

can

book

a

free

appointment

to

talk

about

your

options

Pension

Wise

does

n’t

cover

the

State

Pension

final

salary

or

career

average

pensions

State

Pension

For

help

with

your

State

Pension

contact

the

Pension

Service

Complaints

If

you

have

a

complaint

about

how

your

pension

scheme

is

run

talk

to

your

pension

provider

first

They

have

to

respond

within

weeks

You

can

also

contact

the

Pensions

Ombudsman

if

you

’re

concerned

about

how

a

pension

scheme

is

run

Complain

about

marketing

You

can

get

help

from

the

Pensions

Advisory

Service

or

complain

to

the

Financial

Ombudsman

’s

Service

about

how

a

pension

scheme

has

been

marketed

to

you

If

your

provider

has

broken

the

law

If

you

think

your

pension

provider

has

broken

the

law

you

can

complain

to

the

Pensions

Regulator

for

workplace

pensions

the

Financial

Conduct

Authority

for

personal

and

stakeholder

pensions

If

your

provider

goes

bust

If

the

pension

provider

was

authorised

by

the

Financial

Conduct

Authority

and

ca

n’t

pay

you

might

get

compensation

from

the

Financial

Services

Compensation

Scheme

FSCS


Getting

agreement

Usually

the

employer

and

employee

both

need

to

agree

to

any

contract

changes

But

an

employee

can

insist

on

a

change

if

they

have

a

legal

right

to

it

Employers

You

must

get

an

employee

’s

agreement

if

you

want

to

make

changes

to

their

contract

You

should

consult

or

negotiate

with

employees

or

their

representatives

for

example

from

a

trade

union

or

staff

association

explain

the

reasons

for

changes

listen

to

alternative

ideas

from

employees

You

may

also

want

to

talk

with

workers

asking

them

about

their

future

plans

With

older

employees

this

can

include

talking

about

their

thoughts

on

retirement

and

their

options

for

staying

in

the

job

for

example

changes

to

their

role

hours

or

working

pattern

Employees

Explain

to

your

employer

why

you

want

to

make

the

changes

You

can

insist

on

a

change

if

it

’s

covered

by

a

statutory

right

for

example

not

working

on

a

Sunday

Making

changes

Once

employers

have

agreed

on

changes

with

their

staff

they

need

to

update

the

terms

of

their

employees

written

statement

of

employment

conditions

write

to

their

employees

within

a

month

to

tell

them

exactly

what

has

changed

If

an

employer

changes

terms

and

conditions

that

are

not

in

the

written

statement

for

example

the

right

to

sick

leave

they

should

tell

their

employees

where

to

find

information

about

the

change

This

could

be

in

a

company

handbook

noticeboard

or

intranet

site

Collective

agreements

Employers

must

write

to

their

staff

to

let

them

know

about

any

changes

to

collective

agreements

with

trade

unions

or

staff

associations

These

changes

might

affect

the

terms

of

employees

written

statements

including

pay

and

working

hours

whether

or

not

they

’re

a

member

of

the

union

or

staff

association

Flexibility

clauses

Flexibility

clauses

are

terms

in

a

contract

that

give

employers

the

right

to

change

some

conditions

of

employment

for

example

relocation

Employers

can

only

use

flexibility

clauses

to

make

reasonable

changes

Changes

of

employer

If

someone

starts

working

for

a

different

employer

they

’ll

normally

have

to

be

given

a

new

written

statement

within

months

However

if

the

name

of

a

business

changes

or

there

’s

a

new

employer

but

no

other

changes

in

terms

and

conditions

the

employer

does

not

need

to

issue

a

new

written

statement

They

still

need

to

write

to

their

staff

about

the

changes

within

a

month

Disciplinary

measures

Sometimes

changes

to

an

employee

’s

terms

and

conditions

like

a

demotion

can

happen

as

a

result

of

a

disciplinary

measure

Employers

should

make

sure

the

staff

handbook

or

intranet

site

contains

information

about

how

this

could

happen

in

the

section

dealing

with

disciplinary

procedures

Dealing

with

problems

Problems

can

arise

if

an

employer

tries

to

change

a

contract

without

agreement

or

re

employs

someone

on

new

terms

and

conditions

there

is

a

breach

of

contract

where

one

of

the

terms

in

a

contract

is

broken

for

example

an

employer

does

not

pay

agreed

wages

or

employees

do

not

work

agreed

hours

Solving

disputes

Employers

and

their

staff

should

try

to

solve

disputes

about

contract

changes

by

talking

informally

or

through

mediation

Employees

can

also

get

advice

from

their

trade

union

representative

if

they

’re

a

member

of

a

union

Citizen

’s

Advice

or

Acas

Advisory

Conciliation

and

Arbitration

Service

In

Northern

Ireland

they

can

get

advice

from

the

Labour

Relations

Agency

LRA

If

the

problem

can

not

be

solved

employers

or

employees

may

have

the

right

to

take

legal

action

It

’s

important

to

get

advice

first

because

legal

action

can

be

expensive

Trade

union

members

may

be

able

to

get

legal

advice

from

their

union

Making

a

change

without

agreement

If

an

employer

makes

a

change

to

a

contract

without

getting

agreement

including

by

using

flexibility

clauses

unreasonably

employees

may

have

the

right

to

refuse

to

work

under

the

new

conditions

say

that

they

’re

working

any

new

terms

under

protest

and

are

treating

the

change

as

a

breach

of

contract

resign

and

claim

constructive

dismissal

be

able

to

take

a

case

to

an

employment

tribunal

In

Northern

Ireland

an

employment

tribunal

is

known

as

an

industrial

tribunal

If

an

employee

disagrees

with

new

terms

and

conditions

but

does

not

say

or

do

anything

this

may

count

as

agreeing

to

the

changes

Re

employment

on

new

terms

and

conditions

Employers

may

as

a

last

resort

end

a

contract

and

re

employ

someone

on

new

terms

and

conditions

Employers

who

are

dismissing

employees

must

follow

the

legally

required

redundancy

procedure

in

England

Wales

and

Scotland

statutory

minimum

dismissal

in

Northern

Ireland

If

an

employer

does

dismiss

and

re

employ

someone

they

may

be

able

to

take

a

case

to

a

tribunal

and

claim

breach

of

contract

unfair

dismissal

Breach

of

contract

claims

If

an

employee

claims

breach

of

contract

and

they

can

not

solve

things

informally

with

their

employer

they

may

be

able

to

take

their

case

to

a

civil

court

or

an

employment

tribunal

or

an

industrial

tribunal

in

Northern

Ireland

Their

employer

may

be

able

to

make

a

counter

claim

Claims

and

counter

claims

can

only

go

to

a

tribunal

if

they

are

related

to

an

employment

contract

issue

still

have

not

been

solved

when

the

employee

ends

their

employment

The

claim

or

counter

claim

can

not

be

related

to

a

personal

injury

or

certain

types

of

contract

term

like

intellectual

property

rights

Time

limits

Usually

employees

must

make

a

claim

to

a

tribunal

within

months

of

ending

their

employment

The

employer

gets

weeks

from

receiving

a

copy

of

the

claim

to

decide

whether

to

make

a

counter

claim

Compensation

limits

If

the

tribunal

agrees

with

the

employee

’s

claim

they

may

award

compensation

This

can

only

be

for

financial

loss

for

example

non

payment

of

wages

up

to

a

maximum

of


Joining

a

trade

union

A

trade

union

is

an

organisation

with

members

who

are

usually

workers

or

employees

It

looks

after

their

interests

at

work

by

doing

things

like

negotiating

agreements

with

employers

on

pay

and

conditions

discussing

big

changes

like

large

scale

redundancy

discussing

members

concerns

with

employers

going

with

members

to

disciplinary

and

grievance

meetings

Find

a

union

to

join

If

there

’s

a

union

at

work

you

can

ask

the

trade

union

representative

rep

about

joining

Their

contact

details

may

be

in

your

company

handbook

intranet

site

or

on

the

union

noticeboard

The

union

rep

will

tell

you

if

you

’re

eligible

to

join

and

give

you

a

membership

form

to

fill

in

Trade

union

contact

details

You

can

search

a

list

of

unions

and

their

contact

details

put

together

by

the

Certification

Officer

the

independent

organisation

responsible

for

the

legal

regulation

of

unions

You

can

also

use

the

TUC

’s

interactive

tool

to

help

you

find

a

trade

union

in

your

workplace

or

one

which

covers

your

type

of

job

Trade

union

membership

subscriptions

Your

union

will

charge

a

union

membership

fee

membership

sub

to

finance

the

work

of

the

union

This

can

be

the

same

amount

for

all

employees

or

based

on

how

much

you

’re

paid

Paying

your

membership

subs

You

can

pay

your

subs

by

having

the

amount

taken

by

your

employer

from

your

pay

and

sent

to

the

union

otherwise

known

as

check

off

direct

debit

cash

cheque

Paying

by

check

off

Your

employer

does

not

have

to

take

union

membership

subs

from

your

pay

and

send

it

to

the

union

They

can

stop

sending

your

membership

subs

unless

your

employment

contract

says

they

have

to

Your

employer

can

not

take

union

membership

subs

from

your

pay

without

your

written

permission

Many

trade

unions

will

get

your

agreement

to

pay

by

check

off

when

you

join

and

forward

it

to

your

employer

You

can

also

ask

your

employer

in

writing

to

stop

taking

money

from

your

pay

for

check

off

whenever

you

want

They

must

then

stop

taking

subs

from

your

pay

as

soon

as

it

’s

possible

Your

employer

is

responsible

for

making

sure

that

any

check

off

payments

they

make

are

legal

What

to

do

if

you

have

a

problem

If

you

have

a

problem

with

your

check

off

payments

try

to

discuss

the

issue

with

your

employer

and

your

trade

union

first

If

your

trade

union

subscriptions

are

taken

from

your

pay

without

your

consent

you

could

make

a

complaint

to

an

employment

tribunal

against

your

employer

If

your

complaint

is

successful

the

employment

tribunal

can

order

your

employer

to

pay

you

the

value

of

the

unauthorised

payments

Trade

union

membership

your

employment

rights

You

have

the

right

to

choose

to

join

or

not

join

a

union

decide

to

leave

or

remain

a

member

of

a

union

belong

to

the

union

you

choose

even

if

it

’s

not

the

one

your

employer

negotiates

with

on

pay

terms

and

conditions

belong

to

more

than

one

union

Your

employer

is

not

allowed

to

offer

you

a

benefit

to

leave

a

trade

union

threaten

to

treat

you

unfairly

if

you

do

not

leave

a

union

Refusing

to

employ

you

for

trade

union

membership

reasons

An

employer

or

employment

agency

is

not

allowed

to

insist

that

you

join

or

leave

a

trade

union

leave

one

union

for

another

Dismissal

for

trade

union

membership

reasons

Your

employer

is

not

allowed

to

dismiss

you

or

choose

you

for

redundancy

because

you

are

or

want

to

be

a

union

member

are

not

or

do

not

want

to

be

a

union

member

took

part

or

wanted

to

take

part

in

union

activities

Other

unfavourable

treatment

Your

employer

must

not

treat

you

unfavourably

for

example

refusing

you

promotion

or

training

opportunities

if

you

join

a

union

take

part

in

its

meetings

leave

a

union

What

to

do

if

you

have

a

problem

You

may

be

able

to

use

a

grievance

procedure

or

go

to

an

employment

tribunal

if

you

think

your

employer

has

treated

you

unfairly

because

of

your

trade

union

membership

Contact

the

Advisory

Conciliation

and

Arbitration

Service

Acas

if

you

have

any

questions

about

trade

union

membership

Role

of

your

trade

union

rep

A

trade

union

representative

rep

is

a

union

member

who

represents

and

gives

advice

to

colleagues

when

they

have

problems

at

work

Trade

union

reps

are

not

paid

but

they

do

get

paid

time

off

to

do

their

work

as

a

rep

What

do

union

reps

do

Reps

are

there

to

discuss

any

concerns

you

have

about

your

employer

go

with

accompany

you

to

disciplinary

or

grievance

hearings

with

management

represent

you

in

negotiations

collective

bargaining

over

your

pay

and

terms

and

conditions

of

employment

meet

with

your

employer

to

find

solutions

to

workplace

issues

develop

the

best

possible

health

and

safety

procedures

with

your

employer

Employers

must

consult

with

union

reps

if

there

is

going

to

be

a

business

transfer

or

takeover

they

are

planning

to

make

or

more

people

redundant

within

days

Your

right

to

be

accompanied

You

have

the

right

to

be

accompanied

by

your

union

rep

to

some

meetings

with

management

for

example

if

you

’re

facing

a

disciplinary

charge

you

wish

to

raise

a

grievance

with

your

employer

If

your

union

rep

can

not

attend

you

may

be

able

to

rearrange

the

meeting

or

ask

a

work

colleague

to

go

with

you

Becoming

a

union

rep

If

you

want

to

become

a

union

rep

ask

another

rep

in

the

workplace

or

contact

your

union

through

its

website

Depending

on

union

rules

you

may

be

appointed

or

elected

If

you

become

a

union

rep

find

out

what

rights

you

have

Union

negotiations

with

your

employer

When

an

employer

and

a

union

agree

to

negotiate

on

pay

terms

and

conditions

this

agreement

is

called

recognition

of

the

union

The

negotiations

are

called

collective

bargaining

How

collective

bargaining

works

Your

employer

and

trade

union

must

agree

on

how

collective

bargaining

will

be

done

including

which

union

rep

or

official

will

represent

a

group

of

workers

or

employees

this

group

is

called

a

bargaining

unit

who

is

included

in

the

bargaining

unit

how

often

meetings

will

take

place

what

issues

they

’ll

discuss

how

disagreements

will

be

handled

how

collective

bargaining

will

work

if

more

than

one

union

is

recognised

Collective

agreements

Agreements

reached

through

collective

bargaining

are

called

collective

agreements

and

they

often

mean

a

change

in

your

employment

terms

and

conditions

Collective

agreements

can

cover

all

staff

not

just

union

members

Your

employment

contract

may

say

which

collective

agreements

cover

you

if

your

employer

recognises

more

than

one

trade

union

union

is

recognised

to

negotiate

for

more

than

bargaining

unit