• British labor laws provide for minimum wage and workplace safety.judge image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
  
  British labor laws cover areas such as workplace safety and minimum wages. Employers and employees in the United Kingdom should take an interest in all relevant labor laws because employers will want to avoid costly infractions while employees will want to be sure they are being treated legally and fairly.
  
  

National Minimum Wage Act

• Parliament passed the National Minimum Wage Act in 1998. The law establishes for the first time a minimum wage system in Great Britain. The law applies to most British workers, however minimum wages are tiered by age and education. As of 2010, workers at least 22 years of age receive £5.80 hourly minimum wage. The minimum hourly wage for workers age 18 to 21 is £4.83. Workers under 18 who have completed school receive £3.57 hourly. Workers under age 18 who have not completed school don't have a minimum wage. Further, the law applies only to workers legally employed in the United Kingdom, those employed by others and having an implied, oral or written contract.
  
  

Health and Safety at Work Act

• The British government enacted the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974. It is the main law dealing with workplace safety in the United Kingdom. The law states that employers must take measures to make sure that workplaces are reasonably safe and risk-free. Employers also have a duty to make training materials and education about workplace safety available to workers. The law further requires that employers take reasonable measures to ensure that people not in their employ are not put in danger by their business.
  The law prescribes that employees make reasonable efforts to protect themselves and others on the job. The law also mandates that employees cooperate with any and all parties in creating a safe workplace free of health hazards.
  
  

Employment Rights Act

• The Employment Rights Act became law in Great Britain in 1996. The law covers a number of rights that employees have in the workplace. The law establishes a right of employees to an itemized pay stub containing gross wages, itemized deductions and net wages payable. The law further ensures that employees receive time off, without reprisal, for events such as public duties, complaints or testimony before workplace inquiries, maternity leave, looking for work and scheduling training. The law also addresses for what reasons employees can be terminated as well as mandating notice to employees who are about to be terminated.