Why is work important for us?

We work mainly to earn money, but our work also contributes to society. When we do good work, we get praise for it and it strengthens our self-confidence. Some people are self-employed and some work for a private company or the government. Employees usually have an employment contract with the employer. If the employer terminates employees, they can go on a strike and fight for their jobs.

What is written in an employment contract?

Usually, the responsibilities of the employee are laid down in an employment contract. The responsibilities could be working on a machine or heading a large department. In addition, the employment contract also specifies the number of working hours per week, the salary the employee is to get for the work, and how many holidays the employee is entitled to in a year. This contract can be terminated by the employee or the employer. In most countries, the process of terminating the employment contract is legally defined, and one party must give a specified time to the other party to adjust to the new situation. However, the processes are not the same everywhere and the employer can terminated the employee in a matter of hours.

What does 'strike' mean?

Strike means to 'shut down work'. If the employees are not in agreement with a decision make by the company, they can go on strike and refuse to work. For example, when a large number of jobs are threatened because most work is being done by machines, the employees could go on strike to save their jobs. Many employees are members of a labor union, which is an organization that works for the common good of workers.

Who are self-employed people?

Self-employed people are not employed in a company, so they do not have an employment contract. They earn money for themselves and for their employees by fulfilling orders from companies or individuals. Examples of self-employed people are doctors and lawyers, who employ assistants to help them in their practice. Mechanics, actors, or small shopkeepers are self-employed health insurance and old-age pension is taken care of by the company that employed them, the self-employed have to look after insurance themselves. Self-employed people decide for themselves when they want to work and when they want to take a holiday.

What is illegal working?

If you earn money, you must pay taxes too. For instance, if a mechanic repairs something and gets money for doing that, he must pay a part  of his incomes as tax to the government. People who do not do this work 'illegally'. Illegal working is prohibited because the state is being cheated by not paying taxes. The state pays for teachers, policemen, or construction of roads from the tax money collected. Illegal workers cheat their fellow citizens also because the enjoy the public services offered by the state without paying for it.