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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.
Discrimination when hiring
Fair treatment is not just a moral and legal obligation but makes good business sense. Employers who treat employees fairly will be best placed to recruit and retain staff in an increasingly diverse and competitive labour market.
Sick leave
From one time to another, employing organisations will experience absence by their staff due to illness. Illness absences are usually unplanned. This makes planning and covering work difficult for employers given the short notice of illness occurrences.
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
Women expecting a baby who satisfy the qualifying conditions are entitled to a maximum of 39 weeks SMP.
Public holidays and bank holidays
Employees are not automatically entitled to paid time off for bank and public holidays.
Pay in Lieu of Notice (PILON)
A payment in lieu of notice is made in circumstances where an employee is not required to work their notice period but is paid a sum of money instead.
Health & Safety at Work
Employers have a duty to protect their employees and visitors from harm. They must do risk assessments and they must report any serious incidents to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland. Employees are expected to take reasonable care of their own health and safety.
Annual Closedowns
Employers may elect to close their business at certain times of the year. (Christmas/new year)
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.
Advertising the job
An employer has an obligation to ensure that recruitment advertising is carried out in a non-discriminatory manner.