Living and working in the UK

1
Living and working in the UK
Haydée Folkard UK EURES Adviser East of England
Region November 2008 Hungary
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
2
Living and working in the UK

• Working in the UK
• Employment law
• Living in the UK
• Looking for work

3
Great Britain

• Great Britain is England Scotland and Wales
• The public employment service is Jobcentre Plus
• www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

4
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

5
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

6
Working in the UK
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Job opportunities

• Opportunities 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
• Social and Care Work
• Drivers buses, heavy goods vehicles
• Chefs and hotel workers (including seasonal)
• Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical vacancies
• Engineering
• Agricultural Work (including seasonal)

8
EURES website

• Find a job search the vacancies in all EURES
  countries
• CV-online - register your CV for employers to
  see
• EURES advisers details of 750 EURES
  advisers
• www.eures.europa.eu

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EURES website

• Living and Working information
• accommodation and taxes
• cost of living
• health, education and social information
• comparing qualifications.
• labour market information - by country and
  region
• Learning
• education and training opportunities in Europe
• universities and colleges

10
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

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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

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Employment law in the UK
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Employment conditions and law

• Minimum wage is 5.73 per hour 1,833.81 HUF
• 220 per week or 220.00 GBP 70,676.41 HUF
• Working week is 37-40 hours
• Many employers offer part-time work
• Minimum holiday is four weeks - 20 days
• Wages are usually paid direct into a bank account
• 20 minutes break allowed if you work 6 hours
  each day
• www.dti.gov.uk
  www.acas.org.uk
• National Minimum Wage helpline 0845 600
  0678

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Useful Sites

• Trade Union Congress http//www.tuc.org.uk help
  with employment questions, disputes, trade
  unions, health and safety at work etc.
• Her Majestys 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 UKs public services,
  includes information on health, driving in the
  UK, education, jobs, local councils, housing etc.

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Income Tax

• Tax is deducted from wages every week or month
• Tax is 20 of gross income
• 40 on earnings of over 36,000 11,574,903.66
  HUF
• Self-employed people pay their own tax
• www.hmrc.gov.uk

16
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. It is 15 (4,818.77 HUF
  ) or more each week
• Council Tax may be included in your rent. Check
  with your landlord

17
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

18
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 [phone] to apply (Great Britain)
• In Northern Ireland, contact the Jobcentre
• www.dwp.gov.uk

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Example of weekly earnings

• If you earn 220 (70,785.48 HUF ) per week, you
  will pay
• less Income Tax 22 (7,066.18 HUF )less
  National Insurance 13 (4,182.78 HUF )
• Rent (room) 50 (16,057.81 HUF )
• Council Tax 15 (4,824.35 HUF ) or more
• The amount of Council Tax you pay depends on your
  accommodation (it could be included in the rent)
• 20-30 (6,432.46 - 9,648.65 HUF ) per week for
  food / living expenses!

20
E-forms (most commonly used)

• European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles
  you to receive state-provided healthcare in the
  EEA. Replacement for Form E111.
• E101 if you are an employee working in two or
  more countries in the EEA.
• E301 record of your social security
  contributions which can be used to assess your
  entitlement to benefits in another country.
• E303 use to transfer your claim to unemployment
  benefit from one country to another within the
  EEA.

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Living in the UK
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Accommodation

• Flats (Apartments) furnished / unfurnished
  400-600 per month (128,281.09 HUF
  192,680.80 HUF )
• Houses - furnished / unfurnished500-800 per
  month (160,423.11 HUF 256,676.97 HUF )
• Rooms 200-350 per month (64,254.12 HUF
  112,418.49 HUF )
• You pay one months rent before you move in
• Large cities are more expensive and accommodation
  can be difficult to find

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Shopping basket

• Cigarettes 5.00 1,607.16 HUF
• Loaf of bread 0.70 224.75 HUF
• Sandwich 2.00 642.14 HUF
• Cup of coffee 1.50 481.98 HUF
• Pint of beer in pub 2.70 867.56 HUF Chocolate
  bar 0.60 192.25 HUF
• Fish and chips 5.00 1,602.10 HUF
• Cinema ticket 5.00 1,602.10 HUF
• Short bus journey 1.00 320.44 HUF
• Football match 25-40 8,000.60 -12,792.77 HUF

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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 (2,263.52 HUF )
  per item
• You will have to pay for spectacles and dental
  treatment
• www.dh.gov.uk NHS
  Direct 0845 46 47

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Looking for work in the UK
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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.go
  v.uk for examples of Graduate level cvs and
  covering letters

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Curriculum Vitae - CV

• Personal details name and address
• Personal profile a short description about your
  career history
• Achievements what do you do well
• Work history details of your employers and your
  job roles put the most recent first
• Training/qualifications most recent and highest
  first
• Interests and hobbies
• Other skills for example - driving licence,
  languages

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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

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Application letters

• Send a short letter with your CV or application
  form
• 1 page typed in English
• Explain why you have the right skills for the job
• Explain why you want to work for the company
• Write a new letter for each application so it
  matches the job description
• Say when you are available to start

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Interviews

• Interviews are usually formal
• There may be more than one person interviewing
  you
• Find out as much as you can about the company
• Always dress smartly

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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

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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

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Any questions?

• Haydée Folkard
• Regional EURES Adviser
• Location East of England region
• Phone [phone]
• Email haydee.folkard_at_jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk