Search Results
Annual Review of Employment Law 2020
We have published the narrative and video links (part 1 and part 2) of our Annual Review of Employment Law 2020, which has been delivered through a number of partnership events by our Director of Employment Relations Services, Mark McAllister.
The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021
This Order increases, from 6th April 2021, the limits applying to certain awards of industrial tribunals, the Fair Employment Tribunal or Labour Relations Agency statutory arbitration. Examples of these rates include the maximum amount of “a week’s pay” for the purpose of calculating a redundancy payment or various awards, including the basic or additional award of compensation for unfair dismissal is now £566. The limit on amount of guarantee payment payable to an employee in respect of any day is now £30.00. The other rates can be found in the Schedule to the Order.
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. The Executive have opened a consultation on parental bereavement leave that can be accessed here. It is proposed that employees would be entitled to 2 weeks parental bereavement leave with pay where the employee is eligible.Dependants Leave
An employee is allowed a reasonable amount of time to deal with unexpected or sudden emergencies concerning a dependant. This is unpaid unless contractual arrangements state otherwise.
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021
These Regulations are made in response to the serious and imminent threat to public health which is posed by the incidence and spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Northern Ireland. Effective from 24/5/21, Regulation 4 introduces an exemption for gatherings in respect of lawful industrial action.
Garden Leave
Garden leave is a term used to describe a situation whereby an employee who has resigned from their employment or who has been dismissed by the employer is not required to work their notice and instead remains at home during the period of notice.
Whistleblowing
The Public Interest Disclosure (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 protects those who report serious wrongdoing in the workplace from dismissal or detrimental treatment as a result of their whistleblowing.
Fall Back Scheme – Parental leave
The Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 introduced a right to Parental Leave for parents of any child under the age of 18.
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.