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New employer-focused ‘Guide to Childcare’ supports employees and boosts economy
As labour shortages and staff retention continues to impact the economy, the issues associated with accessing or affording appropriate childcare - viewed by many parents as one of the main barriers to employment – have been addressed in a new Guide for Employers.
421 The Disability Discrimination (Meaning of Disability) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996
These Regulations provide for the established definition of a disability for the purposes of the 1995 Act, that is, a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on the person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities.
LRA Pride Discussion Encourages Workplace Respect
This week the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) marked Belfast’s Pride Festival week by hosting a panel discussion to help businesses and organisations manage workplace conversations on diversity issues, which some may regard as ‘difficult’ or ‘sensitive’.
No 225 The Employment Equality (Age) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007
These regulations amend the primary and secondary legislation on age discrimination by altering provisions in relation to statutory sick pay, dismissal for exercising the right of accompaniment, aspects of Social Security Contributions and benefits and aspects of inter-related law impacting on those under 16.
Fair Employment (School Teachers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022
This legislation was enacted by the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2022 and came into effect on 12th May 2024.
From this date, it will be unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of religious or philosophical belief or political opinion in respectof the recruitment or promotion of teachers in schools in Northern Ireland.
Prior to 2003, FETO, and its predecessors, did not prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religious or philosophical belief or political opinion in relation to any aspect of the employment of school teachers. That was due to the effects of article 71 of FETO, commonly known as the teachers’ exception.
This situation changed through a process that began in 2003 when an EU equality law, Council Directive 2000/78/EC, required the exception to be modified and
narrowed. As a result, and since then, FETO has prohibited discrimination on its equality grounds in relation to most aspects of the employment of teachers in
schools; e.g. in relation to pay, training, absence and performance management,
dismissal, harassment.
Despite that change, FETO’s prohibition of discrimination did not apply to the recruitment or promotion of teachers in schools due to the continuing effects of one part of the article 71 exception that remained.
The remaining gap in coverage was filled on 12 May 2024 with the inrtoduction of this legislation.
The Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (Coronavirus, Calculation of a Week's Pay) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 SR 2020 No. 178
This Statutory Rule ensures that various statutory entitlements based on a week's pay and connected with termination of employment are not reduced as a result of an employee being furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
Increase of limits on Tribunal awards and payments under employment rights legislation
The Department for the Economy has made a statutory rule entitled The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2023 (legislation.gov.uk).
The Order increases, from 6 April 2023, limits applicable to certain awards and payments under employment rights legislation in line with the Retail Prices Index.
The Department has issued a press release relating to the above changes in limits - https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/news/department-economy-announces-annual-increase-limits-unfair-dismissal-and-redundancy-payments.
For details on the limits for previous years, please access the following link https://www.legislation.gov.uk/primary+secondary?title=The%20Employment…
The Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunal (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020
These Regulations and Rules of Procedure establish requirements in relation to proceedings before industrial tribunals (ITs) and the Fair Employment Tribunal (FET). They revoke and replace earlier regulations and rules which separately dealt with these tribunals. The 2020 Regulations provide a revised and consolidated text for the rules and procedures of the industrial tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal while simplifying language and structure, being consistent with better regulation principles. The 2020 Regulations also take account of the introduction of Early Conciliation; in particular setting out the implications arising from the adherence, or non-adherence, to the requirements of Early Conciliation.
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”).
391 Disability Discrimination (Exemption for Small Employers) Order (Northern Ireland) 1998
This Order lowers the small employer exemption threshold (available under Section 7 (1)) from 20 employees to 15 employees.