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Work and Employment

Check your employment status

Summary

The rules about whether you count as employed or self-employed for tax reasons are slightly different. You can check your employment status for tax on GOV.UK. * your employer is in charge of what work you do and how you should go about it on a day to day basis (even if you’re left alone to actually do the work) * under your contract you have to do the work yourself - you can’t pass it onto someone else * your contract guarantees you at least a minimum number of hours of work each week or month - and you have to do it * under your contract you have to do the work you’re given yourself - you can’t pass it on to someone else * your employer isn’t a client or customer of a business that you run This is sometimes called having a ‘zero-hours’ contract. You’ll be a worker as long as you have to do the work yourself and you’re not running a business. In some rare cases you might be able to show you’re an employee instead. Talk to an adviser if you’re on a zero-hours contract and you want to use a right that only employees have. For example, you might be able to claim unfair dismissal if you’ve been on a zero-hours contract for more than 2 years and you can show you’re an employee. If your.

Key information

  • your employer is in charge of what work you do and how you should go about it on a day to day basis (even if you’re left alone to actually do the work)
  • under your contract you have to do the work yourself - you can’t pass it onto someone else
  • your contract guarantees you at least a minimum number of hours of work each week or month - and you have to do it
  • under your contract you have to do the work you’re given yourself - you can’t pass it on to someone else
  • your employer isn’t a client or customer of a business that you run
  • The rules about whether you count as employed or self-employed for tax reasons are slightly different. You can check your employment status for tax on GOV.UK.
  • your employer is in charge of what work you do and how you should go about it on a day to day basis (even if you’re left alone to actually do the work)
  • under your contract you have to do the work yourself - you can’t pass it onto someone else
  • your contract guarantees you at least a minimum number of hours of work each week or month - and you have to do it
  • under your contract you have to do the work you’re given yourself - you can’t pass it on to someone else
  • your employer isn’t a client or customer of a business that you run
  • You can check what rights you have if you’re a worker on GOV.UK.

Practical guidance

Related topics

Work and EmploymentRedundancy and DismissalUnfair dismissalWork

More in this area

Sources

This is signposting information from the Legal Shaman wiki, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified solicitor for your situation.

Check your employment status | Legal Shaman