New job? Check your rights

11:51am Monday 24th December 2007

WITH New Year's resolutions being made to get new jobs, the Government is urging people to make sure they are getting all the job benefits they are entitled to.

An extra four days holidays, new maternity leave rights and extended rights to flexible working are just some of the new entitlements introduced in 2007.

Employment Relations Minister, Pat McFadden said: "We want to make sure that workers know what rights they have when applying for a new job, or so they can check their existing conditions are up to scratch.

"In the past few months the minimum wage has risen and full time workers have been given rights to an extra four days paid leave a year.

"People deserve decent working standards - a minimum wage, the right to paid holidays and the right to work in a safe environment."

Checklist - know your entitlements: * The National Minimum Wage for all workers is now £5.52 an hour for those aged 22 and over, £4.60 for 18-21 year olds and £3.40 for 16-17 year olds.

* All workers are now entitled to 24 days paid holiday (pro-rata for part-timers). A further increase to 28 days will come into force on April 1, 2009.

* New mums and dads can now benefit from extra leave and pay measures, designed to give working parents more choice in their caring responsibilities. Mothers and adopters are now entitled to nine months Statutory Maternity or Adoption Pay. This would enable Dads to take time out if the baby's mother returns to work before the end of her maternity leave period.

* Parents are also entitled to up to 13 weeks leave to look after young and disabled children and have the right to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off work to deal with any emergency involving a dependant.

* 'Keeping in Touch' days have been introduced, meaning that a woman on maternity leave is able to go to work for a few days now and again, without losing her right to maternity leave or a week's statutory pay.

* As of April 2007, 2.6million carers across the UK now have the right to request flexible working under the Work and Families Act.

* From April 2008, all agency workers will have the right to withdraw from services provided by their agency, such as accommodation or transport without suffering any loss in pay or benefits, provided they give a period of notice.