Know Your Rights: Pay, Hours and a Written Agreement

You got the job. Good! Before you start, take a little time to understand what you have agreed to. Many problems at work, such as late pay, unpaid hours or unsafe places, start because nothing was clear at the beginning. This lesson gives you a short list of things to check, and ideas to protect yourself. It is general information, not legal advice. Rules are different in each country and each state, so always check your local rules.

Ask for the offer in writing

A written offer or agreement does not have to be long. It should say clearly the things below. If an employer does not give anything in writing, you can write it yourself and send it by message: *Thank you for the job. I understand that I will work as a welder from Monday, 8 am to 5 pm, for 600 per day, paid every Saturday. Please confirm.* A reply of *yes* is proof. Keep it.

• The name and address of the employer or company.
• Your job and place of work.
• The start date.
• Pay: the amount, and whether it is by day, week, hour or month.
• When and how you are paid: on which day, in cash, to a bank account or by mobile money.
• Working hours, rest days, breaks and overtime pay.
• Any trial period, and how much notice is needed if you or the employer want to stop.
• What the employer will give: safety gear, tools, transport, food or a place to sleep.

Pay

• Pay for all the work you do, on the day that was agreed.
• Ask for a payslip or a note that shows the hours, the pay and what was taken out, if the employer gives one. In some places it is required. If the employer pays in cash, write down the date and the amount, and ask for a signed note if you can.
• In many countries there is a minimum wage, a legal lowest pay. Ask your local labour office or look at the official government website to see what it is where you work.
• Deductions, such as tax, social insurance or fines, should be explained. Ask if something is taken out and why.

Hours and rest

Ask what the normal hours are, and how overtime is paid. Many countries have rules about the length of the working day and the weekly rest day. If you work extra hours, write them down: date, start time, end time. Also note any break.

Safety

• You have a right in many places to a safe workplace. The employer should give safety gear and training for risky work.
• If a machine or a place is not safe, tell your supervisor. Do not do work that you have not been trained for and that could hurt you.
• Know where the first aid box and the exits are.
• If you are hurt at work, tell a supervisor at once, ask for first aid and write down what happened. Keep your medical papers.

Keep proof

Proof protects you if there is a problem. Keep them in your Jobs folder, and keep a second copy.

• The offer or agreement, and messages that confirm the job.
• Payslips or notes of pay, with dates.
• A list of your days and hours.
• Photos of the place and of your work if it matters, and if photos are allowed.
• Names and phone numbers of the supervisor and the company.

If something goes wrong

1. Stay calm. Talk to your supervisor or employer politely and clearly, and say what you need: *My pay for last week was not paid. Please tell me when I will get it.*
2. Put it in writing, in a message. Keep a copy.
3. Ask a trusted person, such as a union representative, a worker centre or a community group, for help.
4. Contact your local labour office, labour inspector or legal aid service. Many countries have free or low-cost help for workers. Search for the official government website, and be careful of people who ask you for money to *fix* it.
5. Do not sign papers that you do not understand, and do not hand over your original documents.

Different groups of workers have different rules. Daily wage workers, domestic workers, farm workers and migrant workers may be treated differently by the law in your country. Ask a local worker organisation or official office what applies to you.

Your task

1. Write a message that you could send to an employer to confirm a job: place, start date, pay, pay day and hours.
2. Find your country's labour office or worker help service and save its web address or phone number.
3. Make a simple table in your notes app to write your days and hours: date, start, end.
4. Put a copy of your agreement and your contacts in the Jobs folder.

How to check it worked

• Your message has the pay, the pay day, the hours and the start date.
• You have saved one official place to ask about work rights.
• You can name three kinds of proof to keep.