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Contracts of employment
A contract of employment is a legal agreement between an employer and an employee which sets out their employment rights, responsibilities and duties. The employment contract is made as soon as a job offer is accepted.
Tests and checks
Employers can do various checks to make sure future employees can do the job they are being hired to do, that they are entitled to work in Northern Ireland, and that they are not barred from working with vulnerable groups.
Safety Committee / Representatives
The Safety Representative and Safety Committees Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1979 apply to organisations that have recognised trade unions for collective bargaining purposes.
Labour Relations Agency retains Bronze Diversity Mark
The Labour Relations Agency has successfully retained the Bronze Diversity Charter Mark in recognition of their ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion within the workplace.
Redundancy
When employers wish to make employees redundant they must follow a clear and fair process. The Labour Relations Agency has a redundancy flowchart which can help employers and employees in this situation.
New Hybrid Working Guide Offers Timely Support to Employers
To coincide with the easing of Covid restrictions and anticipated lifting of the ‘work from home’ recommendation, a new guide offering NI employers the most up-to-date advice on ‘Hybrid Working’ has been launched by the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) for Northern Ireland.
New rates for National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage
From the 1st of April 2024, the changes in respect of the above are as follows:
* If you are 21 and over, you will be entitled to £11.44 per hour (National Living Wage)
* If you are between 18-20, you are entitled to £8.60
* If you are under 18 or an Apprentice, you will be entitled to £6.40
Please note that to avail of the National Minimum Wage you must be at least of school leaving age
In Northern Ireland this means If you turn 16 during the school year (between the 1st of September and the 1st of July) you can leave school after the 30th of June.
If you turn 16 between 2 July and 31 August you can’t leave school until 30 June the following year.
You can access the relevant legislation by clicking on the link below
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/432/made
Public holidays and bank holidays
Employees are not automatically entitled to paid time off for bank and public holidays.
Trade Union duties and activities
An employee who is an official of an independent trade union which is recognised by the employer must be allowed reasonable time off with pay during working hours to:
Discrimination when hiring
Fair treatment is not just a moral and legal obligation but makes good business sense. Employers who treat employees fairly will be best placed to recruit and retain staff in an increasingly diverse and competitive labour market.