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Economy Minister welcomes new legislation to protect Northern Ireland workers
Economy Minister Diane Dodds has welcomed new employment legislation which will benefit workers across Northern Ireland.
The Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (Protection from Detriment in Health and Safety Cases) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021 extends protections against detriment in health and safety cases to workers in relation to any action they may take to protect themselves or others where they reasonably believe there is serious and imminent danger in their place of work.
It will come into operation on 31 May 2021. At present, these protections cover only employees.
The Order must be approved by a resolution of the Assembly within six months of coming into operation. It must therefore be confirmed on or before 31 November 2021.
The move has its origins in a Judicial Review brought by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain against the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain.
A High Court Judgment was published in November which directed that the Health and Safety Framework Directive and the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Directive should apply to a wider group of workers, not just employees.
Minister Dodds said: “This Order is about more than about responding appropriately to the decision of a High Court ruling. It will also give clarity to business and individuals.
“As businesses emerge from lockdown, everyone will need to be protected during the transition back to the workplace.
“This Order will allow some of our most vulnerable workers the legal protection they need to act to ensure their own safety and the safety of others without fear of suffering detriment for doing the right thing. This includes protecting them against being denied promotion or training opportunities.”
The Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (Persons Abroad and Mariners) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022
These Regulations relate to the treatment under Part 12ZD of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 of persons abroad, persons who work as mariners and persons who work on the continental shelf. The effect is that certain persons who would otherwise not fulfil the qualifying conditions for entitlement to statutory parental bereavement pay because of the nature of their employment or the fact that they are outside the United Kingdom will have an entitlement to such pay.
Regulation 4 limits the application of the Regulations to cases where the person would be treated as an employee under Part 12ZD of the Act if the employment were in Northern Ireland.
Regulation 5 provides for a person who is absent from Northern Ireland but in respect of whom an employer has secondary Class 1 national insurance contribution liability to be treated as an employee for the purposes of the Part 12ZD.
Regulation 6 relaxes any time limit imposed by Part 12ZD of the Act or regulations made under it in relation to a person who cannot comply with the time limit because that person is outside the United Kingdom.
Regulation 7 treats certain classes of mariners as employees for the purposes of Part 12ZD and regulation 8 makes corresponding provision for persons working on the continental shelf
Lyons to bring forward Miscarriage Leave and Pay regulations for NI
Economy Minister Gordon Lyons today launched a consultation which will bring forward dedicated legislation for Miscarriage Leave and Pay in Northern Ireland.
No 86 The Work and Families Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (Commencement, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015
These Regulations were made on 2/3/15 and provide for The Department for Employment and Learning in exercising their powers under the Work and Families Act (NI) 2015 to detail which components of the legislation will commence on 15/3/15 for the purposes of making regulations and enabling the parents of children expected to be born or placed for adoption from 5/4/15 to avail of shared parental leave and pay and associated entitlements for working parents (see Statutory Rules below – eg SR’s 95-103).
Labour Relations Agency Public Meeting to Explore Link Between Good Employment Relations and a Strong Economy
The link between harmonious, productive workplaces and a thriving economy is the theme of the Labour Relations Agency’s annual public meeting on Thursday 25 October in Belfast’s Radisson Blu Hotel at 11.30am.
Flexible working - the essence of a ‘good job’?
“Redefining the concept of a ‘good’ job, which embraces flexibility in all its forms, is a necessity if we’re to achieve a more inclusive and productive economy.”
The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023
These Regulations make provision relating to employment under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (c. 28) (“2023 Act”) by way of amendments to the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016 No. 49) (“2016 Regulations”).
EARLY CONCILIATION COMES TO NORTHERN IRELAND 27 JANUARY 2020
Following a change in employment law, the Labour Relations Agency will provide a new service to employees, employers, and their representatives.
No.377 Paternity and Adoption leave Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002
These Regulations relate to rights regarding paternity and adoption leave derived from the Employment (NI) Order 2002 and include qualification for right, taking paternity leave, 1 or 2 consecutive weeks, 56 day window, notification, terms and conditions of employment during leave, right of return, ordinary and additional adoption leave, one person entitlement re: adoption leave, provisions regarding adoption leave etc which largely reflect those relating to paternity.
No 159 The Sex Discrimination Order 1976 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008
These Regulations make a variety of amendments to our anti-discrimination legislation as it pertains to gender and pregnancy only. As a result there is no longer a requirement for a comparator who is not pregnant when a woman is pursuing a case of discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy or maternity leave.