Work in hotels and restaurants in the UK — simple words
You just arrived in the UK. Your English is still weak. You need a job and money. Hotels, restaurants, bars, cleaning — this is the easiest way in. They hire without experience and often with almost no English. But there is one trap that makes you earn less than you could. Here — in simple words: where to go, how much they pay, and how to earn more.
This is just useful information, not legal advice. If they don't pay your wages or cheat you — call ACAS (government help service for workers): 0300 123 1100. Free. They have interpreters in Russian and other languages — ask for an "interpreter".
What jobs you can find
Here are jobs that hire without experience. The less you need to talk to guests, the less English you need.
| Job | What you do | Do you need English | How much they pay (per hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housekeeping (room cleaning) | Clean rooms in a hotel, change bedsheets, clean bathroom | Almost none | £12.71–14.50 |
| Kitchen porter (dishwasher) | Wash dishes, clean the kitchen, take out rubbish | Almost none | £12.71–13.50 |
| Cleaner (bar/restaurant) | Clean the dining area and kitchen after closing | Almost none | £12.71–14 |
| Waiter | Take orders, serve food, clear tables | A little — simple phrases | £12.71–13.50 + tips |
| Bartender | Pour drinks, work the till | A little | £12.71–14.50 + tips |
| Night porter | Work the hotel reception at night, help guests, keep order | A little | £12.71–15 |
| Reception | Welcome guests, check them in, answer phone calls | Good English needed | £13–15 |
If you just arrived and speak English poorly — start with cleaning or washing dishes. There you almost don't need to talk. Later you can improve your English and move to a job with guests (where you also get tips).
Main thing: what is an "agency" and why you lose money
When you look for a job, often it's not the hotel that hires you, but an agency — a middleman company. Remember how it works:
🏨 Hotel pays money → 🏢 Agency keeps part for itself → 👷 They give you the rest
So the hotel pays, for example, £16 per hour for your work. But this goes to the agency, not to you. The agency keeps £2–4 per hour for itself and gives you £12.71. Part of that money goes to taxes and holiday pay (that's normal), but part is just the agency's profit from you.
Two more things about agencies you need to know
- "Zero-hours" — a contract with no guaranteed hours. They do NOT promise you any hours of work per week. Today they give you a shift — tomorrow they might not. You earn a lot one week, little the next. This is legal, but it's hard to live like that.
- You ARE allowed to work somewhere else too. If the agency gives you few shifts and says "you can't work anywhere else" — that's illegal. You can look for work wherever you want.
Working through an agency is a normal way to start. This way you find your first job and first money faster. But it's a start, not the end. Next — how to earn more.
🔑 How to earn more: go "direct" (in‑house)
"Direct" (or "in‑house", in English "direct") — this is when the hotel hires you itself, without a middleman company. Then nobody takes a part of your money, and you get rights (see below).
What to do — step by step
- Work well. Don't be late, don't miss shifts, don't argue. The hotel wants to keep a reliable person — finding a new one costs them money.
- Wait about 10–12 weeks. By then you have shown that you can be trusted.
- Ask the hotel manager directly (not the agency, but the manager himself): "Can I work for you directly, without the agency?" Best to ask face to face, after your shift. Here is the phrase in English, you can show it from your phone:
"I like working here. Can I work for you directly, not through the agency?"
(Say: "Ay layk wuhr-king heer. Kan ay wuhrk foh yoo duh-rekt-lee, not throo the ay-jen-see?")
When you go direct — ask the main thing: "How many hours per week do you guarantee?" Sometimes the hotel hires you "direct" but again without guaranteed hours. Then there is little benefit. Good is when they promise you a fixed number of hours every week.
What you get when you go direct
It's not only about money. The main thing is you get rights and stability:
- More money in your pocket — the agency no longer takes its cut.
- Stable hours — you know how many hours you will work and how much you will earn. You can plan your rent and your life.
- Paid holiday — 28 days per year (this is the law, 5.6 weeks).
- Sick pay — if you get ill, they pay £123.25 per week (from the first day of illness, from April 2026). Before, the first 3 days were unpaid — now they pay from day one.
- Pension — the hotel adds money to your future pension (if you earn more than £10,000 per year). This is free extra money.
- Proper documents — payslip (shows how much you earned and what was deducted) and P60 (year summary). Keep all of them! Without them you cannot: get a tax refund, rent a home (landlords ask for payslips), get a mortgage, or extend your visa.
Tips — they are your money
By law (from October 2024) the employer must give workers all 100% of tips — they cannot keep any for themselves. If a restaurant has a "service charge" on the bill — that must also go to the workers. At the interview you can ask: "Do you share tips?"
Where to look for work
- Caterer.com — the main website for jobs in hotels and restaurants.
- Indeed and Reed — big job websites, they also have many vacancies.
- Go in person. Print a short CV (resume), dress neatly, go into hotels/restaurants/cafés and ask the manager: is there work? Look at the windows — if you see "Now hiring" or "Staff wanted", they are looking for people.
- Big chains (always hiring): Premier Inn, Travelodge, Hilton, Marriott, Greene King pubs.
Most jobs appear before summer (May–August) and before Christmas (October–January). This is the best time to look.
What documents you need
- Right to work — your visa/eVisa and share code. The employer will check before your first day.
- NI Number (National Insurance number for taxes) — apply straight away. You can start work without it, while it's being processed. How to get it →
- Bank account — to receive your wages. Open one without a local address →
- Food Hygiene Level 2 — a certificate about food hygiene. By law it's not required, but it helps to get a kitchen job (£10–30, online, a couple of hours). About certificates →
- For cleaning usually no certificates are needed — they train you on the job.
How not to get scammed
- "Work a day for free — we'll see." A short trial (a couple of hours) is okay. But if you work a whole real shift — they MUST pay you. A whole day for free is a scam, leave.
- They deduct money for uniform. They cannot deduct so that you end up with less than £12.71 per hour. Check your payslip.
- They take your passport "for safekeeping". This is illegal and very dangerous — a sign of forced labour. The employer only makes a copy and gives back the original straight away. If they took it — call the police 999 or the helpline 0800 0121 700 (anonymous, 24/7).
- They pay cash in an envelope without a payslip. Then you have no rights: no holiday, no sick pay, no tax refund. Demand a payslip — it's your right.
If they don't pay your wages — detailed guide here: what to do if they don't pay →
Short answers
Through an agency or direct — which is better?
Through an agency — to start quickly. Direct (in‑house) — to earn more and have rights. The best plan: start through an agency, work 12 weeks, then ask the hotel to take you direct. Just check that they promise a fixed number of hours per week.
How many weeks do I need to work to get equal rights?
12 weeks in the same place. Weeks are counted, not hours — even a short week counts. After that the law gives you the same pay and conditions as regular employees.
Can the agency stop me from going direct or charge me a fine?
No. That's illegal. The agency cannot fine you or withhold your wages for moving direct. If there is a fee, the hotel pays it to the agency, not you.
Do I need English for cleaning in a hotel?
Almost none. Simple words are enough. For cleaning and washing dishes you can start with almost no English. For waiter and reception you need to speak better.
What is zero-hours? Do I have to take all shifts?
It's a contract with no guaranteed hours — they don't promise you work every week. You are NOT required to take all shifts. And they cannot forbid you from working somewhere else.