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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

From April 2024 a number of statutory payment rates increase for the 2024-25 financial year.

Below are the links which relate to the changes in respect of Social Security Benefits and the increases in limits to the Employment Rights Order.

“Redefining the concept of a ‘good’ job, which embraces flexibility in all its forms, is a necessity if we’re to achieve a more inclusive and productive economy.”

• New Guide aims to Eradicate Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Contemporary flexible working practices, and their potential to power productivity and a more inclusive labour market will be the focal point of the Labour Relations Agency’s upcoming annual conference.

Our Workplace Information Service have observed a notable surge in enquiries from both employees and employers regarding redundancy.

The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023 came into force on 1st January 2024 and set out the legal obligations on carry over of holiday and what constitutes  pay for the purposes of calculating holiday pay.

The long awaited decision from the Supreme Court in the case of Chief Constable of Police Service of Northern Ireland v Agnew and others [UKSC33] was passed down on the 04/10/2023.

In essence the case was about how to properly calculate holiday pay and how far back claims can go where the amount was miscalculated.

Workplace conflict has a negative impact on organisational performance and the working experiences of those involved. Research commissioned by the Labour Relations Agency on workplace conflict in Northern Ireland suggests that disputes took up valuable time and eroded organisational culture.

These challenges have arguably become more acute in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic with pressure on recruitment, retention, engagement and productivity.

However, leaders and policymakers may underestimate the strategic importance of managing conflict at work. Conflict management is often unseen – taking place in the shadows and behind closed doors. Until recently, lack of visibility has been exacerbated by a lack of robust data. This analysis of the costs of workplace conflict in Northern Ireland finds that 37% of workers experience conflict each year at a cost of £851m.

The report in full can be found below, while our podcast on the topic can also be found here.

This week the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) marked Belfast’s Pride Festival week by hosting a panel discussion to help businesses and organisations manage workplace conversations on diversity issues, which some may regard as ‘difficult’ or ‘sensitive’.