Your Rights as an Apprentice

Originally written by Emma Jones, updated by the editorial team on 2nd April 2026

When you start an apprenticeship your employer essentially takes you on as an employee. This means that you have the same employee rights as any one else and that your employer cannot exploit you.

Although you will still be training during your apprenticeship scheme, you will receive a regular wage and still be entitled to holidays, fair working hours and rest breaks.

Working Hours

There are laws in place to protect how many hours you can be made to work at any time. The limit for an average working week is 48 hours, or 40 if you are under 18. You can work more than this in one week but over a 17 week period it must average out to less than this.

You are also entitled to at least one 20 minute break for every six hours that you work and at least 11 hours off between shifts. This the law and unless you opt out, you have the right to refuse to work any more than this.

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Holiday Entitlement

As an apprentice you will be entitled to at least 28 days' paid holiday per year if you work full-time, or pro-rata if you work part-time. This includes bank holidays. Check your contract of employment to see what you have been given. You also have the right to at least 24 hours free from work in an week or 48 hours free in two weeks. This increases to 48 hours free from work in a week if you under 18.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Wages

Even though you are on an apprenticeship scheme you are treated as an employee and therefore will be paid a regular wage. This money will be paid weekly or monthly to you and you have to pay tax and national insurance on your earnings.

The National Minimum Wage for apprentices for age under 19 or aged 19 or over but in the first year of their apprenticeship is £8.00 per hour. Apprentices over the age of 19 and who have completed one year of their Apprenticeship are entitled to receive the National Minimum Wage applicable to their age. These rates apply to time working, plus time spent training that is part of the Apprenticeship.

Employers are free to pay above the new wage and many do so, but employers must ensure that they are paying their apprentices at least the minimum wage.

If an apprentice is on a higher wage, the employer must continue to pay that for the remainder of the training or until the apprentice becomes eligible for the full national minimum wage.

Whatever you agree on, make sure that you have it in writing and they don't try to take any illegal deductions.

Fair Treatment

As an apprentice or as an employee, you have the right to be treated fairly in all aspects of your work. This means that as well as being paid regularly, being given holiday and not being made to work too many hours, you should not face any discrimination or danger.

Your rights include adequate health and safety training and prevention. They also include being able to work happily without being discriminated against for your race, religion, age or gender. If you think this is happening then you must report it.

When you are taking part in an apprenticeship scheme you should be given the same employee rights as other members of staff. These include fair working hours and rest breaks, as well as being given your full holiday entitlement.

You should also not face any other unfair treatment such as discrimination or poor health and safety. If you think your employer is breaching any of your rights then you must speak up and report them. Now, investigate health and safety for apprentices here.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Apprenticeship Eligibility Checker lets you tell us about your situation and find out which UK apprenticeships you qualify for and how to apply. Try it now →

Showing 20 of 1,318 questions

Ask An Apprenticeship a Question

AnApprenticeship Editor 12/08/2026 at 9:42 pm

@dodo Yes, it's legal. An employer can dictate when you take your annual leave, including forcing you to use it for Christmas closure or other shutdowns, as long as they give proper notice (twice the length of the leave being taken). So if the garage shuts for two weeks, they can require him to use 10 days of his entitlement for that. Sounds like the owner is being generous by giving extra days on top, rather than forcing him to use his 20 for the closures. Worth your son clarifying in writing exactly how many paid days he'll get, so there's no confusion later.

dodo 12/08/2026 at 9:42 pm

My son is an apprentice in a small local garage (in his second year). The garage is run by owner and my son (the apprentice). We know that he has got 20 days annual leave entitlement. However the owner of the garage chooses to close his garage at Christmas for two weeks. He also closed his garage for another two weeks around Easter period when he went on for his holiday. Obviously my son was off during these two weeks and will be off during Christmas closure. My son and we (the family) went for a week holiday in May. We are hoping to go for another week in late September /early October. However, my son wouldn't book any time off because he had been told he would have 25 days annual leave by the end of the year. If he is off for another week , this will bring the holiday leave to 30 days. I understand some companies do shut for Christmas period and tell the employees to allocate 5 days from their annual leave for this. Is it legal to suggest/force apprentices to take all their holiday entitlements coincide with the owner's holiday plan and the closure of the garage?
Thanks in advance.

AnApprenticeship Editor 17/05/2026 at 1:32 pm

@Bessy Not being paid is unlawful, regardless of apprenticeship status, and your son can raise a formal grievance then take it to an employment tribunal or ACAS within three months of the missed wage. He's also entitled to his 20% off-the-job training, so the missing college placement is a serious breach of the apprenticeship agreement. I'd ring the ACAS helpline on 0300 123 1100 for free advice. Honestly, this firm sounds like it's folding, so he should line up something else just in case.

Bessy 14/08/2024 at 12:04 pm

My 22 year old son is on an apprenticeship at a company that seems to be going down the pan. He is being made to work 40hours a week and hasnt been paid last months wage with the likelihood that he won't be paid the coming months either. The boss has just returned from a 2 week holiday in Jamaica regardless of the fact he hasn't managed to pay his staff.
Where does my son stand on this as his boss hasn't even arranged his college placement which he should have done at the beginning of the employment, my son is chasing and chasing this as it has set him back a year in his studies.
Whilst he is loving his placement and wishes to complete the apprenticeship where does he stand being under 2 years with this company but not being paid for work?

Id like to ad this is the 2nd time this has happened regarding pay this year.

RY 01/04/2024 at 4:22 pm

My 16yr old daughter wants to do an apprenticeship but she has to leave home for it and that means she has to pay for student housing rent but the wage is really low and not enough money to cover everything what should she do?

Gmacc 28/03/2024 at 9:04 pm

My daughter is an apprentice, she is being made work bank holidays and told she is only allowed 4 Saturdays off a year and 20 days annual leave. However her contact states 20 days annual leave plus bank holidays, so for example this year she should get 27 days annual leave?! Or it that wrong?!

Jac 15/03/2024 at 8:32 pm

My daughter is doing an apprenticeship in a hair salon, she is contracted to a minimum of 30 and maximum of 40hrs, every week she is being told not come in and to take unpaid leave, only done 2 days this week, is this legal?

M 25/02/2024 at 10:57 pm

My daughter has done 2 weeks of her apprenticeship but has had to leave due to personal circumstances. Will she get paid for the 2 weeks that she worked?

Thanks,
Dad

Cam 25/01/2024 at 9:09 pm

My partner has been employed by a company as a nursery assistant for 6 months. They are now trying to force her into an apprenticeship to try and avoid paying her minimum wage. She is working towards a government funded vocational qualification which was started at the same time as her employment. The company has said that ‘technically’ she should be on a lower wage as an apprentice and therefore is not entitled to the new minimum wage for her age, even though an apprenticeship has never been mentioned until this point.

Mel 23/01/2024 at 11:28 am

My daughter started an apprenticeship 4 months ago, is being paid the minimum £5.28 but has not started an official apprenticeship scheme whilst working. Is this against the law as they keep saying they will start it soon?

Many thanks

Nik 26/11/2023 at 9:09 pm

My son is an apprentice, he started around 3 months ago, he is paid weekly, however he.hasnt been paid for nearly 3 weeks by his employer, my son has financial commitments, he's currently using all his savings and borrowing money off me to pay phone bills, subs and money for food etc.

I don't know if I should get involved and contact the boss or leave it to my son to sort out, or should I contact the college etc ?

I need some desperate advice in what to do

Cheers

JR 30/10/2023 at 12:49 pm

I have been an apprentice for 4 years at an engineering company and it has been a mess, should’ve ended up with a Level 2 and 3 and haven’t even been signed off on level 2 yet. However my company has now put me through a HNC and I started this last month, in theory I’m not an apprentice anymore as this isn’t an apprenticeship course however they still see me as that in the workplace. My boss has now decided to say we cannot take holiday or any form of leave on our day release day at college, this includes him saying any doctors or hospital appointments must be rearranged and no holidays will be authorised for that day, even if we book off a full week to go away. Is he allowed to do this? Usually holidays are very relaxed here I could book tomorrow off now and it will be authorised however he is being different with college days.

Marcy 28/10/2023 at 4:08 pm

Hello I was offered and apprenticeship in finance level 3 ( I have completed level 2 in 2020 ) in April this year because I wanted to leave my position as head barista.

My apprenticeship started in September but I haven't had the opportunity to work in the field yet .

For this reason my apprenticeship provider decided to put it on hold untill my company will fit me in the finance role .

I work for I big company which hold 35 different small companies and yet they haven't found a role suitable for my .

I'm devastated knowing that I can't complete it and I would like what are my rights and what can I do in order to continue with my apprenticeship.

Shaz 16/09/2023 at 12:58 pm

My daughter on her second week on a hairdressing apprenticeship has a contract 40 hours been told to take 2 days off unpaid as the salon is quite is this right

Worried Mother 07/09/2023 at 8:56 am

Good day,
My son is still waiting to be signed off of his three year engineering apprenticeship and he is now just starting his fifth year with the company.

Two years into the apprenticeship scheme the company found they had put him on the wrong course with the partnering college. There has been, and still is ongoing, multiple issues regarding the college/work liason tutor. Primarily due to changes in staff, no comprehensive handover, and constant failure to deliver previously agreed forward moving plans.
Adding to this, when almost so close to finally getting an agreed sign off for his remaining module (not in his area of interest due to the course mixup) the company, who previously promised him time in the department and use of the equipment he is to be tested on, the very next working day they tell him no can do as they have an order to complete.
Now I understand a business is a business but we are now going into year five and I wonder how long can they keep doing this for? How can we essentially 'force' the company and the college to resolve this ongoing mess of an apprenticeship? The company has promised him as soon as this apprenticeship has been sorted out they will go back through the college to arrange the assessment and observation to sign off for the original skillset that he has been trained to do for the apprenticeship he was supposed to have been on originally, however, I am sure you can guess my concerns.
It has been an anxiety inducing affair for my son, and us as his parents, to watch helplessly as he has done everything required of him to complete an incorrect course that is not in his specific choice of career and then watch the goal posts being continually moved. He is stuck!
I am therefore asking, please, for any advice that you can offer us.
Kindest regards,
Vicky

H 24/08/2023 at 4:40 pm

Advice needed , my sister (24) is currently doing an apprenticeship she does do 1 day a week at at hair and beauty college, when she’s not attending college if there closed ect the employer is expecting her to work on another day for an 6-8 hour shift unpaid , and has just this week asked her to also work an additional 2 hours on one of her shifts unpaid ….. am I right I’m thinking that she should be paid for every working hour she does no matter the circumstances.

DMM 23/07/2023 at 6:26 pm

My son is an electrical installation Apprentice but his company does not have any contracts to work on so this means my son can’t work . And he dies want to take annual leave. Should the company still pay him?

Wull 11/07/2023 at 9:22 pm

My son is on his second year apprentice, his boss books holidays and tells him I'm away so your on holiday too, my son can't book holidays with family as his bosses dates don't correspond with ours. He is told he is only due 25 days holiday per year, and even if he has worked Monday to Friday his boss makes him work some Saturday's which interfere with his football career, His boss also says he will not get a pay rise until he has passed his drivers licence, what can be done about this mostly making him taking his holidays when told too.

Lmb 25/06/2023 at 12:58 pm

My son is being taken away from home for afew days with work, will he get paid the whole time is away and will meals and accommodation be paid for by the employer?

Shell 06/06/2023 at 5:39 pm

My son has been an apprentice for nearly 2 years. His boss goes on holiday quite a bit and also when he has no work my son can't work..in both situations he doesn't get paid. College has already spoke to his boss but he's not changed his ways, my son doesn't feel comfortable talking to his boss about this. Surely as an employer he has to pay my son as it is his decision not to work ?

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