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Rests and breaks
Employees are entitled to breaks for meals and to rest. As far as possible employers should provide breaks, facilities and comfortable surroundings for additional needs such as breastfeeding or expressing milk.
Bereavement Leave
Employees are sometimes entitled to paid bereavement leave if someone close to them dies. All employees are entitled to reasonable time off without pay to arrange or attend the funeral of a dependant.
Statutory Sick Pay
Employers are responsible for the payment of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for periods of illness of four days or more up to a total of 28 weeks' absence in any one period of incapacity for work.
Antenatal Care
All pregnant employees are entitled to time off to keep appointments for antenatal care made on the advice of a registered medical practitioner, registered midwife or registered health visitor.
A person in a qualifying relationship with the pregnant employee is entitled to unpaid time off work to accompany the expectant mother to two antenatal appointments.
Breach of Contract
If an employer fundamentally breaches a contract of employment, it could lead to the employee resigning. If an employee fundamentally breaches a contract of employment he or she could be dismissed.
Discrimination
Employers have a legal duty to ensure that they do not treat an individual less favourably on any grounds related to their age, gender, marital status, disability, race/nationality, sexual orientation, religious belief or political opinion.
Pension scheme trustees and directors of trustee companies
Employees who are trustees of an occupational pension scheme (as defined in Section 1 of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993) or directors of trustee companies are entitled to reasonable time off with pay to carry out any of their trustee’s duties, or to receive training relevant to those duties.
Job applications
There are two main options for inviting applications to job vacancies:
• providing a job application form to be completed and returned, or;
• asking applicants to send a copy of their curriculum vitae (CV).
Changes to Fit Note requirements in Northern Ireland
The requirements for doctors fit notes in Northern Ireland have been amended to remove the need for a doctor to produce a fit note in ink. The change becomes live from the 6th April 2022.
The Department For Communities have explained the change here.
The legislation for the change can be found here or on our dedicated legislation pages on this website. (click the legislation button at the top of this page)
Right to work in Northern Ireland
It is important that an employer checks that a job applicant is allowed to work in the UK before they can employ them. An employer could face a civil penalty if they employ an illegal worker and have not carried out a correct right to work check.
Employers must check the applicant's identity and nationality and make sure that they have the relevant immigration permission or visa in place.