Almost everyone has heard of Citizens Advice, but far fewer understand the positive impact our work can have on people’s lives. The following story is based on typical events that we regularly see in Surrey. Linda* contacted Citizens Advice when she had been sacked from her job. She was upset and felt that she had […]
Many employers understand the rights of the people they employ and treat them as the law requires. However, we do not live in a perfect world and many do not. Citizens Advice has identified the ten most common misleading statements made by employers “You work for us, but you’ll need to pay your own national […]
Most people who work are entitled to get paid at least the National Minimum Wage. This includes casual workers, people on zero hours contracts and agency workers. If you are 25 or over and are entitled to the National Minimum Wage, you should now be entitled to the higher rate of £7.20 per hour (before tax) called the National Living […]
There is no definitive explanation as to why the First of April is associated with hoaxes and fools, a widespread tradition which goes back hundreds of years. Some historians have suggested it originated in the Middle Ages, when people who continued to celebrate new year’s day at the end of March were ridiculed because it […]
Do you want to keep on working but worry about discrimination because of your age? There are now numerous options for retiring or continuing to work after the age of 55. Recent legislation has made it possible to access private pensions from the age of 55, but the age at which you can access the […]
Do you drive or employ drivers? If you do, you need to know about these driving licence changes which apply from 8 June 2015. From 8 June the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licecnce will no longer be valid. This part of the licence displayed details of some vehicle categories you are entitled to […]
Are you a micro-employer – employing at least one, but fewer than 5 people? These can be people who work for you in a shop or other place of work, or in your own home, such as a nanny, carer, cleaner or personal assistant. You need to be clear if you are an employer because […]
Do you know what you are entitled to? or, if you are an employer – what you should be paying? The National Minimum Wage is the minimum pay per hour almost all workers are entitled to by law. It doesn’t matter how small an employer is, they still have to pay the minimum wage. Contracts […]
So I said to the gym instructor: ‘Can you teach me to do the splits?’ He said: ‘How flexible are you?’ I said: ‘I can’t make Tuesdays.’ (Tim Vine) Do you sometimes wish your job allowed you to do something else on Tuesdays? Well, maybe you can, or at least ask if you can. Since […]
‘Sun forces charity to ditch rip-off helplines’‘(headline on the Sun newspaper website 07 April 2014). Do they mean Citizens Advice?. Well, yes it seems they do. Imagine a 63 year old man – let’s call him Jim (an entirely fictitious character, so any resemblance to anyone alive or dead is coincidental) – calling a bureau […]