I think I am falsely self-employed. What are my rights?

If you are not self-employed, you are likely to be a worker.

This means that in particular, you should be getting:

• Wages – at least the National Minimum Wage;
• Holiday pay;
• Working Time rights;
• Statutory Sick Pay rights (subject to meeting the earnings threshold);
• Pensions auto-enrolment rights (subject to meeting the earnings threshold);
• The right to belong to a trade union; and
• Protection from discrimination.

You may be an ‘employee’, in which case, you have additional rights such as protection from unfair dismissal and redundancy, and the right to claim family-friendly rights such as maternity leave. Speak to a union rep if you are not sure, or to an advice agency such as Citizens Advice if you are not a union member.

You can also get advice and support about false self-employment from the Acas Helpline or the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA). The GLAA website has guides in a variety of languages.

If you are not yet a union member, think about joining one. Unions are leading the fight for decent terms and conditions and to combat the use of false self-employment to exploit workers. Browse our Union Finder tool for information on the union most suited to you.