Are you at school, college or university and also working?
Do you know what your rights are at work if you are a student?
Or do you get lots of advice about your future career, but want to know how to deal with problems in the job you’re doing right now?
That is what Earning + Learning is here for.
Earning + Learning was developed in collaboration with working students who have first-hand experience in combining work and education. You can find answers to your questions about your rights at work as a student, whether you work part-time, for an agency, or shift work on a zero-hour contract. Find out more about minimum wage, getting your tips, calling in sick, your Right to Rest, joining a union, and how to deal with problems at work. Plus, find out the new rights that you will be getting at work soon!
It can be difficult to combine education and work! But knowing your rights at work can help with this.
At work, everyone has the same basic employment rights: to be paid the correct amount, to get breaks and holiday pay, and to get sick leave, and for nobody to discriminate or bully you. If this is not the case in your workplace, you can stand up for your rights.
There are many ways to stand up for your rights. You can do this alone, by reading about your rights and then speaking to your manager. You can ask for advice from a union or another organisation, and they will help you figure out what you can do. And you can work together with your colleagues, with or without a union, to bring issues to management.
Whether you are in school, college, or university, if you work for an employer you have the same basic rights at work as any other colleague. Organisations that help workers, like trade unions, Citizens Advice and ACAS, are there to help you too.
Want to know more?
Citizens Advice has more information on how to talk to your employer about a problem at work.
The Young Women’s Trust has more information on what a union is and how they can help you.
ACAS has more information on how to solve problems at work.
The NUS helps students find support at work with one easy form.
There are differences in the minimum amount an employer can legally pay you depending on your age. If you are 21 or over, you should be paid at least the National Living Wage, and between 16 and 21 you are paid the National Minimum Wage depending on your age. From April 2026, these are:
- 21 and over: £12.71
- 18-20: £10.85
- 16-17: £8.00
There is no minimum wage for people younger than 16, so theoretically an employer could pay you less than £8 an hour.
An employer is always allowed to pay you more than the Minimum Wage or the Living Wage if they want to – and good employers often do. Employers do not have to pay younger workers less than older ones.
It is important to remember that your work pays some taxes on your behalf. To see what is deducted and check if it is correct, you should receive a payslip each time you are paid.
Want to know more?
The Young Women’s Trust has more information about pay at work and where to get help.
ACAS has advice on what to do if you do not get paid minimum wage.
The TUC has more information about how to read and check your payslip.
The government has more information about student jobs and tax.
In some workplaces, workers get to directly keep all the tips they receive. In others, tips are collected and shared amongst the staff, or there are other ways the tips are controlled by managers. If this is the case, they are required to have a tipping policy in writing, and you are allowed to ask to see the policy to make sure they follow it.
From late 2026, there will be some changes to tipping law. If your employer makes or changes a tipping policy, they have to consult their workers. If your employer does not comply with tipping law, you can ask for support from your union, and you have the right to take the company to tribunal.
Want to know more?
Citizens Advice has more information on what tips you should be receiving.
The TUC has more information on the upcoming changes to tipping law.
If you are a student, you may be a member of a student union. But if you are a student with a job, then a (trade) union is also for you! Trade unions are organisations that help workers to stand up for their rights, and that provide support if you have a problem at work.
There are different trade unions that represent different sectors and more than 6 million people in the UK belong to one. Many workplaces have elected union members – union ‘reps’ or stewards – who represent workers. You do not have to work full-time or have a job for a long time to become a member of a union.
Some unions have free or discounted memberships for students, including if you work in hospitality, retail, healthcare, education, social care, and if you are training to be a teacher or are doing a PhD. If you have a problem at your student job, a union can help you with practical advice or support with workplace issues.
Want to know more?
The Young Women’s Trust has more information on what a union is and how they can help you.
The TUC has more information about what unions are and how to join one.
The NUS connects students and young people to union support with an easy form.
You can search for the right union for you on the TUC’s union finder tool.
If you work part-time or are on a zero-hour contract, you still have a right to receive Statutory Sick Pay from the first day you were unable to work. You will only receive sick pay for the days you would usually work – so if you are ill for a week and you usually only work weekends, you will receive sick pay for that Saturday and Sunday.
It is important to let your employer know that you are ill, so they can calculate the sick pay they should pay you. If you have been off work ill for more than 7 days in a row, your employer might ask for a note from a medical professional.
Currently, the rate for Statutory Sick Pay is 80% of your average earnings for the hours you would usually have worked, up to a maximum of £123.25 a week.
Want to know more?
The Young Women’s Trust has more information on sick leave.
Citizens Advice has more information on how to get sick pay.
The TUC has more information on the changes to sick pay.
Student workers have a right to breaks, rest days and holiday time – regardless of the type of contract you have. If you are 18 or over, you should receive, at a minimum:
- A 20 minute break if you are working more than 6 hours
- At least 11 hours between the end of your shift and the start of your next one
- One 24 hours off once each 7 working days, or 48 hours off once each 14 working days – the maximum amount of days you are allowed to work in a row is 12
If you are under the age of 18, the rules are more strict:
- A 30-minute break if you are working more than 4.5 hours
- At least 12 hours between shifts
- At least 48 hours (2 days) off in a row every week
You also have the right to paid holiday, which is calculated based on the hours you have worked. For every 100 hours you work, you receive 12.07 hours of paid holiday. Your employer should keep track of your holiday hours, and when you request paid time off (also called Annual Leave) they will use that holiday time to pay you while you are off.
Want to know more?
The Young Women’s Trust has more information on holiday leave and paid holiday, and on the breaks and rest time you should get on a zero-hour contract.
ACAS has more information on the right to rest of young workers and workers aged 18 and over.
Citizens Advice has more information on how holiday pay is calculated.
All employees have the right to be treated respectfully at work. A manager has the right to tell you what your job tasks are and how to do your job, and to have a conversation with you if something goes wrong at work. They do not have the right to bully you, to put you in unsafe situations, to call you names, to harass you, or to do or say discriminatory things.
Discrimination can happen on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, gender identity, religion, disability, or family (for instance pregnancy or marriage). If someone at work treats you differently, harasses or bullies you because of your identity, this is discrimination. It is also discrimination if you are being treated badly because you called out discrimination at work. There are many organisations that can help you if you experience discrimination at work.
Your employer is not allowed to sexually harass you at work, and they have to take steps to prevent sexual harassment from customers or clients as well. Sexual harassment can include unwanted touch, comments or “jokes”, inappropriate questions, or any other sexual behaviour that makes the work environment feel unsafe, humiliating or hostile. Soon, your right to not be sexually harassed at work will become stronger.
Want to know more?
ACAS has more information on dealing with bullying and discrimination, and on your rights as a disabled person at work.
The Young Women’s Trust has more information about the different types of discrimination at work.
Citizens Advice has more information on what to do if you experience discrimination at work.
The TUC has more information on sexual harassment at work.
The new Employment Rights Act gives (2025) workers many new rights, especially for the kinds of jobs students often do: work on zero-hour contracts, agency work, and hospitality. Because there are so many changes, they will happen slowly over 2026 and 2027. Here are the changes and new rights that will affect students most:
Tipping policies
The rules around tipping will change soon. Look here to learn what will change!
Zero-hour contracts and last-minute shift changes
In 2027, the rights of workers on zero-hour contracts will change. If you are on a zero-hour contract, there will be 3 big changes:
- If you work variable hours or are on a zero-hour contract, you have the right to be offered a contract based on your usual hours over a period of time, with some conditions. If your hours increase, the contract can be updated.
- If you want to stay on your current contract in 2027, you can. You can also change your mind and request a guaranteed hours contract later on.
- You will have a right to reasonable notice of your shifts, and likely the right to receive pay if your shifts are cancelled, cut or moved at very short notice.
Want to know more?
The TUC has more information on the changes to zero-hour contracts.
The Young Women’s Trust has more information on how zero-hour contracts work.
Protection from sexual harassment at work
In late 2026, employers have to do more to prevent sexual harassment from happening at work. There will be two big changes:
- Your employer cannot just do the right thing (like supporting you or banning a customer) after sexual harassment has happened. Instead, they have to take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment in the first place.
- Your employer has to identify the roles and environments that have a high risk for sexual harassment – for instance if you work in a bar – and provide effective training and support to the staff who work in that environment.
Want to know more?
ACAS has more information on what sexual harassment is and what to do when it happens.
The TUC has more information on sexual harassment and on what changes will happen in the rules on sexual harassment at work.