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Employment & Jobseeking USEFUL LINKS
The following links may prove useful in looking for information about Employment and Jobseeking. [MSE INSERT, 15/02/22: Some of these links are now out of date. You can find an updated list on this page of the thread] MSE Fully Researched Guides Low Income Grant Grabbing House and Energy Grant Grabbing Great Grants Hunt…
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National Insurance contribution - employee contribution
My new employer has not paid 20 months National insurance employee contributions from 2023 to 2025. I have 39 full years contribution showing on my GOV UK account, not sure if I need to pay the back dated payments. Any advice would be grateful, thank you.
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Self employed engineer, can I employ my wife?
Hi, I am a self employed heating engineer. My wife is currently looking for work after a long term illness. Ad hoc hours would suit her as she’s still in recovery but all of the part time jobs she’s looked at are not suitable for her as it stands. My hours are long, mentally and physically tiring. Could I employ my wife to…
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About to start a new job a week on Monday but.......
So I am 90% the way thru my 3 months notice period - about to start a new job a week on Monday....however what are peoples opinions on this.... I was offered a job three months ago and accepted and all seemed ok. Then about a month and a half ago I heard a new CFO had been appointed in my new company. Ok slightly…
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Skills for life
I have seen this gov advert on bus stops. Had a look and doesn't look all that great. I am looking for a course in software or cyber security. As an adult 40s age group. Currently in a full time job earning about 27k. Should I investigate this or do a paid for course such as pitman training?
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Closure of limited company with cash assets
Hi, with wider use of IR35 I no longer have use for my limited (personal services) company. It has about £5,000 in the bank and there are two shareholders, myself and my partner. Can I simply divide the remaining cash according to shares and declare that income on my personal tax return as capital gains? How do I reflect…
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Adult part time training
Hi I am looking to do an IT course in either cybersecurity or software. A friend recommend a company called pitman who is apparently well respected for qualifications. However I just wanted to check with you all here if you have heard of them and if there are any other options such as free courses I could do first to keep…
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A potential employer advertised roles as Real Living Wage accredited organisation, diferent terms in
If an organization has been accredited Living Wage Employer, do they have to pay the real Living Wage. Which is what value per hour from March 2026? I do not want to start with a comment on this after a successful job interview. However when they sent the documents today, for me to understand the role minutiae - they sent…
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New SSP rules
Ref New SSP rules from April Are there legal requirements for employees to have to get a sick note if they are off for a couple of days? Can an employee just ring up on a Monday, after heavy weekend, and say they are not feeling well. Are they entitled to sick pay?
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Get 16 consecutive days off in 2026 using just 8 days of annual leave – official MSE blog discussion
Afternoon, I've written a blog about how UK workers can boost their leave in 2026 by booking it at the right time – though whether you can do it will depend on what you do, what hours you work and who you work for. The festive season is but a bittersweet memory, and all that lays before you is the grindstone, the grim…
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Free Courses for Jobs
I’m currently unemployed and have been claiming NSJSA for the past 6 months. This recently came to an end and I was given form JSANC1 by the job centre and I am now in the process of being transferred onto a claim for just NI Credits (form was submitted a few days ago so I’m still waiting to hear back). I was online…
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Feeling stuck with my maternity allowance claim
Hi, My situation is this. I am pregnant, due in March and self-employed for 6 years, but also worked for an agency for a couple of weeks in October 2025 and had to stop as I felt the physical job would be too hard for me while I was pregnant. I want to send my maternity allowance claim form to DWP now, but haven't done it…
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GP Fitness for Work note
I've been signed off from work for the past month by my GP for work related stress/depression, the Fitness for Work note expires in a weeks time. I've got a follow up appointment with my GP the day before the end of the expiry of my Fitness for Work note, I've just noticed that on this note the GP has indicated that they…
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Workload is causing me to feel I want to quit or I may have a breakdown.
Shortest way of describing it, is pre this year there was always times I felt overwhelmed but something like a weeks holiday sorted it, but in past year not due to cutbacks but upper management just not replacing staff workload has hit extreme levels and already had a few staff quit due to this making workload even bigger.…
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Physiotherapy and sports massage
I have recently qualified at level 3 in sports massage. I'm not sure what to do next, however. I enjoyed it, and am wondering whether to re-train as a physio. Or am I too old (I'm in my 40s)?
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Employed and Self employed??
Hi all, I currently work a few hrs a week in a local pub after having kids, that way I dont need to pay for childcare and its a bit of extra £££ a month. I am thinking of starting to sell a few cards/crafty stuff in the area as I am pretty good at it and had a lot of interest. Do I need to then tell HMRC I am a sole…
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Tax Code question
Hi, my tax code in recent months has been S1236L (I live in Scotland), but on January's payslip it was S1196L. I wondered if anyone can explain to me why it would've changed. Also, as I understand it the personal tax allowance is £12,570 so shouldn't my tax code be S1257L ? Thanks for any help
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Part time worker bank hols problem.
Just checked my holiday allowance for 2026. I am a UK part time worker, just 7.5 hours on a Saturday for over ten years with good standing. But, my holiday allowance which used to show 70 hours now shows 49.5. not including brought forward hours. I noticed as Boxing day is on a Saturday in 2026 a day has been deducted as…
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Claiming mileage expenses - should I?
Hello fellow forumites, I usually cycle to work. Tomorrow, because I need to take a particular bit of equipment to work, I need to take the car. It'll cost me £10 in fuel and tolls. I'm not sure I should ask if I can expense it at work, it might seem a bit tight, or minor? But it's important to me ... what would you do?…
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EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL. TIME LIMIT TO MAKE SUBMISSION FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING
Claimant's Preliminary Hearing is at 2pm on Monday January 12th. Do we have until 5pm on Monday January 5th to submit our documents to judge and respondents? Just that the legal person helping us for free is still working on things....
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Termination of employment
I'm not too sure of how to go about this, I was wondering if I could have advice on how to ask my employer for the reason of my termination as he hasn't stated it in the email like he did in person. (Reason being due to budget cuts and unable to afford paying me on my 12 hour contract) I've worked at the location since…
