Living and working in the UK

Maria Turner & Christina CuthbertUK EURES AdviserSeptember 2008

www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

Living and working in the UK Working in the UK

Employment law

Living in the UK

Looking for work

Great Britain

Great Britain is England Scotland and Wales

The public employment service is Jobcentre Plus

www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

United Kingdom

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Population - 61 million

Unemployment varies across the UK average is 5%

Language - English

Welsh is spoken in some parts of Wales

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is part of the UK.

The public employment service is:

The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL)

www.jobcentreonline.com

The Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK.The public employment service is:

FAS - the Training and Employment Authority

www.fas.ie

Working in the UK

Job opportunitiesOpportunities vary across the country, but include:

Construction middle & upper management roles i.e. Quantity Surveyors, Estimators, Project Managers Opportunities are mainly in London & South East

Dentists, Pharmacists, Specialist Nurses

Drivers – buses, heavy goods vehicles

Chefs and hotel workers

Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical vacancies

Engineering

Jobcentre Plus

Strongly advise people not to come to the UK if they do not have a job to start

Good English is essential to work in the UK

Search for jobs online

Call the telephone jobs service, Jobseeker Direct +44 (0) 845 6060 234

Jobcentre Plus offices are self-service with Jobpoint computers

www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

Looking for work

UK newspapers have internet jobs sites

Visit company websites for job vacancies, company application forms and company information

Private agencies – many are registered with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation

www.rec.uk.com

Employment law in the UK

Employment conditions and law National Minimum Wage is:

£5.73 per hour for over 22 years, (£229 per week for 40hrs / €275) £4.77 per hour 18 – 21 years approx (£191 per week / €229)

Working week on average is 37- 48 hours

Minimum holiday is 4.8 weeks (24 days if you work a 5 day week)

Your wage is usually paid monthly into a bank account

20 minute rest break is allowed if you work more than 6 hours each day

www.berr.gov.uk www.acas.org.uk

National Minimum Wage Helpline: 0845 600 0678

Useful Sites Trade Union Congress http://www.tuc.org.uk help with

employment questions, disputes, trade unions, health and safety at work etc.

Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs http://www.hmrc.gov.uk help with tax, national insurance, working contracts and hours etc

Health & Safety Executive http://www.hse.gov.uk help with safety and guidance at work etc.

Direct Gov http://www.direct.gov.uk this is the central site for all of the UK’s public services, includes information on health, driving in the UK, education, jobs, local councils, housing etc.

Income Tax

Tax is deducted from wages every week or month

Tax is 20% of gross income

40% on earnings of over £36,000 (€43,200)

Self-employed people pay their own tax

www.hmrc.gov.uk

Council Tax

Council Tax is paid to the council where you live, to pay for local services

The amount you pay depends on your accommodation and family circumstances. Council tax for an average property is approximately £100 per month (€120)

Council Tax may be included in your rent. Check with your landlord

National Insurance

National Insurance is deducted from wages (11%)

The amount you pay depends on how much you earn

Self-employed people must pay their own National Insurance

National Insurance Numbers

Everyone working in the UK has a National Insurance number (NI No.)

You must apply for a number when you start work

If you have worked in the UK before, you do not need a new number

Phone 0845 600 0643 to apply (Great Britain) In Northern Ireland, contact the Jobcentre

www.dwp.gov.uk

Example of weekly earnings

If you earn £229 (€275) p/w, your employer will deduct approx:

Income Tax £25 (€32) National Insurance £14 (€17) You will receive £190 (€233)

Living expenses could include:

Rent (room) £40 (€48) Council Tax £25 (€30) Travel £10 (€12) Food / entertainment £50 (€60)

… but you may have to spend more – particularly in London!

Living in the UK

Accommodation Flats – furnished and unfurnished

£400 - £500 per month (€480 - €600) Houses - furnished and unfurnished

£450 - £700 per month (€540 - €840) Rooms

£200 - £350 per month (€240 - €420)

You pay one month’s rent before you move in and usually 1 month’s deposit

Large cities are more expensive and accommodation can be difficult to find

Shopping basket

Bread £1.00 €1.20 Milk 3.41litres £1.90 €2.30 Sandwich £2.50 €3.00 Cup of coffee £1.80 €2.15 Cigarettes £5.50 €6.60 Pint of beer in pub £3.00 €3.60 Chocolate bar £0.60 €0.74 Fish and chips £5.50 €6.60 Cinema ticket £6.00 €7.20 Short bus journey £1.50 €1.80 Football match £15 - £100 €18 – €120

Health

You need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to use the UK National Health Service (NHS)

You can see an NHS doctor without paying

You can get NHS hospital treatment without paying

Prescribed medicines cost £7.10 (€8.50) per item

You will have to pay for spectacles and dental treatment

www.dh.gov.uk NHS Direct 0845 46 47

Looking for work in the UK

Curriculum Vitae - CV A CV helps you get an interview – not a job Keep it simple – 1or 2 sides of A4 paper Do not use handwriting or include photographs Employers read CVs for 20 seconds – it must make a

quick impression Prepare a new CV for each job application – to match

the job description Access Jobcentre Plus website

www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk for examples of Graduate level cvs and covering letters

Application forms

Many companies use application forms instead of a CV and most large companies now use online application forms

Read the form carefully

Follow the instructions

Photocopy the form and practice filling it in

Write a short letter to support your application

Graduates

Good written and spoken English is essential It is hard to find media jobs Competition is very high Graduate vacancies are declining (more competition) Many employers do not understand foreign

qualifications The UK does not have many work placement

opportunities

www.prospects.ac.uk

Qualifications and degrees

Qualifications can differ in each European country

Some qualifications are recognised across the Europe

Some professional people must apply for UK recognition

The National Academic Recognition Information Centre, NARIC can compare your qualifications. You will need to pay for this service.

www.naric.org.uk

Any questions?

Christina CuthbertEURES AdviserLocation: Sheffield Phone: 0044 (0) 114 294 3593Email:

christina.cuthbert@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk

Maria TurnerEURES AdviserLocation: South East Phone: 0044 (0)1273 647577Email:

maria.L.turner@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk