Work and economy

Hours of Work, Breaks and Holidays

• Working hours:
  • The working hours is 48 hours a week on average. You can not work more.
  • For people younger than 18 working hours is 40 for a week.
• Breaks
  • There are three types of breaks in the United Kingdom. These are rest breaks at work, daily rest and weekly rest.
    • Rest breaks at work: Workers have the right to a 20-minute break during their working day. If the working hours are more than 6 hours, there could be a lunch or a tea break.
    • Daily rest: Workers have the right to 11 hours rest between working days.
    • Weekly rest: Workers have the right to 24 hours rest without any work each week.
• Holidays:
  • In England and Wales there are 8 bank holidays – holidays which are free day:
    • New Year’s Day on 1st January;
    • Good Friday in March or April;
    • Easter Monday in March or April;
    • May Day in May;
    • Spring Bank Holiday in May;
    • Summer Bank Holiday in August;
    • Christmas Day on 25 December;
    • Boxing Day on 26 December.
  • Scotland has 9 bank holidays:
    • New Year’s Day on 1st January;
    • 2nd January;
    • Good Friday in March or April;
    • Early May in May;
    • Spring bank holiday in May;
    • Summer bank holiday in August;
    • St Andrew’s Day on 30 November;
    • Christmas Day on 25 December;
    • Boxing Day on 26 December.
  • Northern Ireland has 10 bank holidays:
    • New Year’s Day on 1st January;
    • St Patrick’s Day on 17 March;
    • Good Friday in March or April;
    • Easter Monday in March or April;
    • May Day in May;
    • Spring bank holiday in May;
    • Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) on 12 July;
    • Summer bank holiday in August;
    • Christmas Day on 25 December;
    • Boxing Day on 26 December.

Areas of Cities where Offices are found

• Offices can be found on the first floors of residential buildings.
• There are also office buildings in the centre and the outskirts of cities in developed spaces.
• Skyscrapers can have specific floors for offices, while other floors contain, for example, apartments

Classification of Individuals According to Their Situations Regarding the Job Market

• Unemployed:
  • Unemployed status means that a person does not have work but is searching for one.
  • The unemployment rate is falling in the United Kingdom.
  • In 2019 it was at a 3.8% rate.
• Employed:
  • In 2019 the employment rate was at 76.3%. Around 80% of men and 72.3% of women were employed.
• Economic inactivity:
  • Economical inactive people are the ones who do not work and do not search for any.
  • Economic inactivity in the United Kingdom in 2019 was around 20.6 %.
  • From economical inactive people around 15.1% were retired men, and 11.8% were retired women.

Exercises

External link to Work and economy exercises (480).