What were you doing the day the royal couple tied the knot? Lining the streets of London waving union jack flags and quaffing bubbly? Or were you slumped behind your desk resenting the fact everybody else was enjoying themselves while you were stuck at work?
Whether you ended up sneaking a peak at the wedding on your tea break or you were entitled to an extra day off to enjoy - or avoid - the nuptials boiled down to the wording in your contract.
Only those with contracts that stipulate they can have all bank and public holidays off, on top of their annual leave, are legally entitled to stay at home.
However miffed it left some workers, it's all an example of how rights and entitlements affect our working life. However, employment law solicitor Philip Landau pointed out in a recent Careers blog how 99% of people were unaware of their employment rights in relation to redundancy and pay cuts, according to a Which? survey. It's not a complete surprise, he wrote, as it is often only when an employee seeks legal advice they become aware of their rights.
So, inspired by this finding, we're inviting a panel of experts to help you understand the range of rights and entitlements which come into play at work. So, if you'd like to know more about everything from redundancy pay to how many breaks you are entitled to, or you'd like a view on your situation, join our panel of experts in a live Q&A on Thursday 4 August.
* The information and opinions expressed by the panellists in this clinic are for information purposes only. They are not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice, and should not be relied on or treated as a substitute for specific advice relevant to particular circumstances.
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Our panel:
Employment law solicitor Philip Landau is a partner at Landau Zeffertt Weir. He writes on legal issues in the workplace, including redundancy, unfair dismissal, breach of contract and discrimination.
Andrew Cowler is Acas helpline manager for Bristol. Acas is a service which aims to improve organisations and working life through better employment relations.
Tim Thomas is an experienced employment lawyer and associate at Hill Dickinson.
Adrian Hoggarth is head of employment at law firm Prolegal. He has particular knowledge of the financial services, healthcare, retail and leisure sectors.
Heather Matheson is the founder and managing director of HR Insight, a specialist in human resource management and employment law. Heather has worked in HR from more than 20 years.
Miriam Bascombe is the content editor for the legal referral service Contact Law, a Thomson Reuters company. She regularly blogs on employment law across several websites.
Caroline Carter is head of employment, pensions and incentives at law firm Ashurst.
Michael Ball is employment partner at law firm Gateley. He is a member of the firm's retail sector team, with a particular focus on licensed trade and leisure.
Juliet Carp is a partner and employment law specialist at City law firm Speechly Bircham LLP. Matthew Whelan is a solicitor and employment law specialist. Both Juliet and Matthew have many years experience helping employers and employees resolve workplace issues.
We'll also be joined by three representatives of corporate and commercial law firm Dundas & Wilson:
Graham Paul, partner, employment
Margarita Elia, senior associate, employment
Elena Cooper, senior associate, employment
