Search Results
What we do
The Labour Relations Agency provides free, impartial and confidential services to employers, employer bodies, employees and workers in Northern Ireland, as well as Trade Unions, HR and legal professionals.
Resources
We provide a range of resources to help you navigate employment relations in Northern Ireland.
Please note that on 6 December 2022 we will have moved our Head Office to new premises at James House, 2-4 Cromac Avenue, the Gasworks, Belfast. However, some of our guides and resources may still have our old, Gordon Street address on them. We are systematically working our way through to update them with the new address. Phone numbers (03300 555 300 and 03300 552 220) and email addresses remain the same.
Contracts of employment
A contract of employment is a legal agreement between an employer and an employee which sets out their employment rights, responsibilities and duties. The employment contract is made as soon as a job offer is accepted.
Labour Relations Agency Accessibility Statement
Accessibility statement for www.lra.org.uk
This accessibility statement applies to the website of the Labour Relations Agency.
1871-1976
Index of employment-related statute (Acts and Orders) 1871-1976
Legislation
Welcome to the Labour Relations Agency’s employment legislation link pages. We have attempted to collate all relevant employment legislation (Primary and Secondary) on these pages for our users’ ease of reference. Essentially users will get a brief summary of the content of the legislation and then a link to the www.legislation.gov.uk website delivered by the National Archives via www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.
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.
Surrogate Parent leave
A surrogate parent may be eligible to Statutory Adoption Leave and Pay from 5 April 2015, provided that:
Trade Union duties and activities
An employee who is an official of an independent trade union which is recognised by the employer must be allowed reasonable time off with pay during working hours to: