UK Employment

The structure of employment has undergone significant changes in the past 50 years. There has been significant increase in self-employment and a growth in the number of small businesses.

The trade union movement has a long important history in Britain. However, membership has fallen because of changes in the structure of employment, including privatization, the rise in smaller firms,, the increase in part-time employment, and the contracting out of work.

As the percentage of women in the British work force has risen, women have struggled for equal pay for equal work. The Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 made discrimination between men and women unlawful in employment, education, training, housing facilities, and services.

Since the election of the Labor Government in 1997, there have been many changes in the United Kingdom employment law. These include maternity and paternity rights, the introduction of a National Minimum Wage and the Working time directive which covers working time, rest breaks and the right to paid annual leave. Discrimination law has also been tightened, with protection from discrimination now available on the grounds of age, religion or belief and sexual orientation as well as gender, race, and disability.

Employer Sponsored Work Permits allow employers to allow sponsor employees entrance into the UK by demonstrating that they possess skills that cannot be found elsewhere. Immigrants who have education or experience in occupations which are listed in the skill shortage list may apply for work permit. These include engineers, doctors, nurses, and teachers. In addition there is a point based system called the Highly Skilled Migrant Program which allows a highly skilled migrant to enter the UK with the right to work without an employer needing to sponsor the visa. Points are awarded according to education, work experience, past earnings, achievement in the field and also of the partner. There are also points for being aged below 28 and for doctors currently working in the UK.

Some people work in the UK under a Working holiday visa which allows 12 months of work within a 24 month period for those aged 17 to 30. UK Ancestry Entry Clearance allows a person to work in the UK for five years if they have a grandparent who was born in the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.