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Health & Safety at Work
Employers have a duty to protect their employees and visitors from harm. They must do risk assessments and they must report any serious incidents to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland. Employees are expected to take reasonable care of their own health and safety.
Maternity Leave
The law sets out the legal minimum leave entitlements for mothers.
Agreements between employers and employees may provide for better arrangements than the statutory minimum.
Constructive dismissal
An employee may make a claim of constructive dismissal if they feel they had no choice but to resign, for example if they feel that there has been a fundamental breach or change to their contract.
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.
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
Women expecting a baby who satisfy the qualifying conditions are entitled to a maximum of 39 weeks SMP.
LRA Confirms Spike in Calls from Distressed Hospitality Sector
NI’s Labour Relations Agency (LRA) has recorded a spike in calls from the local hospitality sector following the emergence of the Omicron variant and tightening of public health restrictions and introduction of new guidance to respond to this.
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.
Parental bereavement leave and pay legislation arrives
Following its passage through the Assembly, the legislation for Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay comes in to effect in Northern Ireland from the 6th April 2022.
More information on the legislation can be found on our dedicated legislation pages (click the link at the top of the page) or by calling our Workplace Information Service on 03300 555 300
Preventing relationship problems
The best way to prevent relationship problems is to have policies and procedures that are fair, constructive and clear and there should be constructive communication to address issues as quickly as possible. We can help you to check if your policies and procedures are in line with best practice.
However, where relationships have been damaged by events in the workplace, the Labour Relations Agency can provide impartial and confidential mediation, conciliation or arbitration support to help resolve the situation.
LRA launches Flexible Future 24 Conference
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.