UK law is common law, which is different from the civil law systems practised in continental Europe. Importantly, the theory of contract differs - in the UK any

UK law is common law, which is different from the civil law systems practised in continental Europe. Importantly, the theory of contract differs - in the UK anything can be a contract, provided there’s certain elements like an exchange (the legal term is consideration). This isn’t the case on the continent, where contracts must fit into prescribed types. Working without a contract would be so utterly alien to the mindset here on the continent. If you don’t have a work contract, which of the seventy-four different pension schemes do you fall under? How do you register your new job with your mandatory “public” health insurance? What social security ‘status’ is recorded for you in the centralised national register of inhabitants? I mean, I recently needed a notarised copy of my rental contract just to register my change of address with the government, which is mandatory here every time you move. This is not a system that deals well with “yeah, I don’t have any papers for that”.