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Qualifying periods
Most people are entitled to the rights outlined below. However, in many cases, qualifying conditions must be fulfilled before a right may be claimed. Some rights apply to all employees as soon as they start work; others depend on factors such as length of service, continuity of employment and activities in addition to the job, for example, union work.
Study or training
Employees aged 16 or 17 who have not achieved a certain standard in their education or training have the right to reasonable time off with pay to study or train for a relevant qualification which will help them towards that standard.
Respectful Conversations Podcast and Guide
Our 'Respectful Conversations' podcast has been produced in partnership with Diversity Mark to support employers who want to encourage respectful conversations at work.
This is the third podcast in our Challenging Workplaces series.
LRA Podcast - 'Challenging Workplaces' - Part 1
In this first episode of the Labour Relations Agency's podcast, entitled 'Challenging Workplaces', Mark McAllister, Director of Employment Relations Services and Keelin Kelly, Communications Manager, discuss societal issues that are now also being recognised as workplace issues - such as domestic violence, menopause and gender identity.
Shared Parental Leave: A Good Practice Guide for Employers and Employees
The Work and Families (Northern Ireland) Act 2015 and associated regulations provide an opportunity for parents to take advantage of additional flexibility in the way they choose to care for a new arrival to the family.
Warnings and other disciplinary action
Warnings in the workplace should be part of a disciplinary process and they should be designed to allow employees to change a particular behaviour within a given timeframe. They should be given as quickly as possible after the behaviour occurs. Any sanctions should be proportionate to the alleged offence.
Advice on Social Media and the Employment Relationship
It's hard to think of a bigger change in the workplace over the last 10 years than the arrival of social media as a means of communication. Their rapid rise in prevalence and importance is changing the nature of work and how it balances with our private lives.
Labour Relations Agency Public Meeting to Explore Link Between Good Employment Relations and a Strong Economy
The link between harmonious, productive workplaces and a thriving economy is the theme of the Labour Relations Agency’s annual public meeting on Thursday 25 October in Belfast’s Radisson Blu Hotel at 11.30am.
Hybrid Working - Here to stay or past its use-by date?
There has been a noticeable drift back to the workplace following the pandemic, with the proportion of NI employees working remotely for some of the time falling from 41% in April 2020 to 17%. Ironically, even Zoom has recently decided to bring its staff back to the office for at least part of the week.
With this in mind, CIPD NI and the Labour Relations Agency ran a webinar on 16 October 2023 to take stock of the HR profession’s experience of hybrid working to date. CIPD NI Branch Chair Nicola Barber hosted the event, and we were joined by an expert panel comprising:
• Ulster University Economist Ana Desmond, co-author of ‘Is remote working, working?’ – research into remote working patterns in NI, published in August 2023;
• Leading HR practitioner and thinker Gary Cookson, author of ‘HR for Hybrid Working’ published in June 2022; and,
• Caroline Samia from the Labour Relations Agency.
The event was recorded, and is now available to view below. The slide deck used during the event is also available for download.
Sexual Harassment Guidance - March 2024
This guide has been developed in partnership with the Northern Ireland Committee for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (NIC-ICTU). It has been endorsed by Women in Business. The guide is designed for employers, employees and their representatives and aims to help eradicate sexual harassment from the workplace.