Since an apprentice is seen in a similar way to an employee under the law, you have rights that you may not realise. In this post, we'll break them down one-by-one and explain what you can do if they're not being met.
Minimum pay and what to do if you're being underpaid
By law, you must be paid for your time as an apprentice. This is different to an internship, which can be unpaid.
If you are under 19 or in your first year of an apprenticeship, you must be paid at least £8 per hour, as of April 2026.
If you are over the age of 19 AND you have been on your apprenticeship for at least a year, then you must be paid the minimum wage. For 19- and 20-year-olds, this is £10.85. For anyone over the age of 21, this is £12.71.
Holiday entitlement
Full-time apprentices are legally entitled to 28 days of holiday, or annual leave, each year. Usually, this means you get all 8 bank holidays off and 20 days to have off whenever you want throughout the year.
Some employers have more holiday entitlement than this, but the above is the minimum amount you're entitled to.
Off-the-job training
All apprentices must spend at least 20% of their working hours in off-the-job training. If you're working 30 hours a week, this usually works out to one day each week.
Off-the-job training doesn't just mean being in a classroom in lessons. The UK government have produced a one-page guide to show what counts as off-the-job training. (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6530f03d9274590013f959e5/2023_10_OTJT_Infographic_-_23_24_Rules_v1.0.pdf)
Sick pay
The amount of sick pay you'll get is £118.75 per week. To be eligible for sick pay, you need to have been ill for at least 3 days (including non-working days) and earn at least £125 per week.
You'll need to let your employer know by either their set deadline, or within 7 days if they haven't set one.
Employers will ask for a fit note if you're off for more than 7 days. These can be issued by a doctor, pharmacist or registered nurse.
What the agreement with your employer should contain
Nearly all apprentices will be given an apprenticeship agreement by their employer to sign. By law, the agreement must contain the following:
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The start and end dates of the apprenticeship
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The amount of off-the-job training you'll have
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The apprenticeship standard you'll be following
If your apprenticeship is extended, this agreement must be updated as well.
Redundancy rights
If you are made redundant, the government will fund your apprenticeship training for at least 12 weeks to give you time to find another program to join.
Even if you don't find a new apprenticeship program to join, you may be able to complete your apprenticeship if you have less than 6 months of training left or completed at least 75% of your training. This includes completing an end-point assessment if needed.
How to complain if your rights are violated
If you feel that any of these rights have been violated, you can contact ACAS (https://www.acas.org.uk/contact).
ACAS, or the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, helps employees and apprentices to settle conflicts about their rights with their employers.