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Probationary periods
Employers may sometimes state that a contract of employment is permanent subject to the completion of a satisfactory probationary period.
Bullying and harassment
Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at work. Bullying or harassment of any kind should not be tolerated.
Board Minutes
Minutes from board meetings of the Labour Relations Agency. There are 10 board meetings each year with none in April or July.
Bank holiday confirmed for Queen Elizabeth's funeral - guidance for employers and employees
Following the death of the Queen, a period of national mourning was announced and it will continue until the end of the day of the state funeral, Monday 19 September 2022.
There is no obligation on organisations to suspend business during the mourning period. Guidance on this can be found on the GOV.UK website here.
However, a special bank holiday has been confirmed on the day of the state funeral, Monday, 19 September 2022.
The guidance below explains how leave for special bank holidays should be handled by employers.
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.
We Are Moving!
On 6 December 2022, the Labour Relations Agency moved its Head Office to James House, 2-4 Cromac Avenue, the Gasworks, at the bottom of Belfast's Ormeau Road. Our Regional Office remains at Richmond Chambers, The Diamond, Derry/L'Derry. Read more here.
Please note that phone numbers (03300 555 300 and 03300 552 220) and email addresses will remain the same.
However, there is a wealth of guides and resources on our website which may still have our old Gordon Street address. We are working our way through these to update them with the new address.
Privacy Notice
LRA (Labour Relations Agency) Privacy Policy
Types of contracts
In addition to contracts of employment, a number of other types of contracts exist.
Preparing for the hiring process
Taking the time to carefully plan the hiring process is important and ensures that you hire an employee with the right mix of skills and characteristics for the job.
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.