Air Haus

Why this matters

Everyone should be paid enough to live on.

The Real Living Wage is a voluntary rate employers can sign up to that is based on the real cost of living.

The current rates are £12.00 per hour, and £13.15 per hour in London.

Find out more in our explainer about the Real Living Wage.

Why this matters

Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off without worrying.

At a good job you should still get paid if you’re scheduled to work but can’t due to sickness. Your contract should say how many sick days you can take each year.

This is more than the legal minimum, which says you should only get paid if you are unwell for 4 full days. See Citizens Advice for more details.

Why this matters

Everyone should get paid for any extra work they do, even if it is outside your contracted hours. At a good job, you should be paid for all the time you spend at work.

Why this matters

At a good job, you get plenty of notice about when you’re working.

This makes it easy for you to plan the rest of life, as well as your finances, because you know how much you’ll be working and when.

Why this matters

At a good job, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting enough hours each week.

A good job should guarantee you a minimum number of hours in a contract, if you want it.

This makes it easier to plan your finances, because you know how much you’ll be earning.

Why this matters

If your manager is often changing your shifts at short notice that’s a sign of poor planning. At a good job you won’t be messed around at the last minute.

Why this matters

Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off when you need to.

A good job should support you when you’re unwell and have systems in place that will allow you to take time off to recover when you need it.

Why this matters

At a good job, you should expect to work about the same number of hours that your contract guarantees you, most of the time.

It’s useful to pick up or drop a few shifts here and there, but if you often work a lot more hours every week than you’re contracted for, a good job should guarantee them.

This means you’re more likely to know when you’ll be working and how much you’ll earn in advance.

Why this matters

Work isn’t always easy, but if you’re frequently feel stressed, that’s not good.

Your employer should support you with enough people and resources to get your job done without feeling overwhelmed.

Why this matters

A good job means enjoying the place where you work.

The people you work with every day really matter. They can be the difference between a terrible day and a great one.

If you’d recommend your team to a friend, this shows that something’s going right.

Why this matters

At a good job, the role of head office should be to support the people on the frontline serving customers.

To do that properly, the company’s owners or head office need to have a good understanding of what’s really happening on the frontline. This is especially important when a company owns multiple locations.