To be employed it is necessary to have a National Insurance Number (NINO). This is because during periods of unemployment it is necessary to continue to pay National insurance contributions to the Government. (If in the future you need to claim benefits, the amount you receive will depend on how many National Insurance contributions you have made).Employment opportunities can be found in the following places:

A C.V. (Curriculum Vitae) may need to be produced when applying for jobs or registering with employment agencies. The CV is a list of all jobs the applicant has done in the past and if possible the names of people who can give a reference. (A reference is a letter about how well the job was done and should be written by the Manager of the previous job or someone else in a senior position).

An employee should be given a contract to sign. This sets out the terms and conditions of the employment such as: hours of work, holiday entitlement, pay and any extras which the job may offer (could be health insurance or a pension). Employees have rights and are protected by the law.

If a person feels they have been wrongly treated at work, they can approach their line manager or mentor. If they feel unable to do so they should approach a representative of the organisation who can help. This person may be a representative of a Staff Group which takes care of the interests of the staff or there may be a Union representative who can assist.

There is a National Minimum Wage which is the least that should be paid. The rates are:

This is a legal requirement and any employer offering less than the amounts shown above is breaking the law. Wage slips should always be given with wages and kept safely as these are useful for many purposes such as opening a Bank account.