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Annual holidays
Most workers - whether part-time or full-time - are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid annual leave. Employers can set the times of the year that leave needs to be taken and workers must give the employer notice when they want to take leave.
Face-to-face Service Update
The Agency has not been conducting face-to-face meetings with customers due to Covid-19, rather we have held meetings by alternative means such as video conferencing or teleconference. Our staff have in general, been working remotely and our offices have been closed to visitors. We are delighted that work is now in progress to restore Covid-secure face-to-face delivery for specific services such as Independent Appeals and Mediations. It should be noted that the pandemic created a considerable backlog in relation to these services and we therefore thank you for your patience and understanding.
Our programme of public and in-company seminars and workshops has been postponed for the time being, but we are continuing to develop and publish webinars on key topics such as Redundancy, Mental Health and Discipline and Dismissal.
The Northern Ireland Engagement Forum, which is chaired by the Labour Relations Agency, has produced A Practical Guide to Making Workplaces Safer to support organisations and workers across Northern Ireland. We have also produced a Working from Home guide and a Practical Guide to Hybrid Working.
Hiring
A positive recruitment experience gets the working relationship off to the best start. It is important to follow a number of steps and adopt a best practice approach.
Employment Document Toolkit
Once you are registered you can unlock our free core employment guides to help you build documents, policies and procedures for your own organisation.
Contracts of employment
Employers must provide a contract of employment which sets out the terms and conditions of employment.
Ending employment
When employment contracts end through resignation, retirement, dismissal or redundancy, there are rights and responsibilities for both the employer and employee.
Types of problems
Problems can arise in any workplace. Below are some examples, though not an exhaustive list. Employers, employees and their representatives may find it helpful to refer to the Labour Relations Agency's codes of practice, sample letters, flowcharts and guides. Our service is confidential and all our resources are free of charge to anyone working to prevent or resolve a workplace issue in Northern Ireland.
Other types of leave
There are various other types of leave including: garden leave; time off for public duties; and study / training leave.
Early Conciliation
The Labour Relations Agency provides an Early Conciliation service following a change in NI employment law which took effect on 27 January 2020. This service helps to resolve workplace disputes in a legally binding way, without the need to take a case to the Industrial or Fair Employment Tribunal. Click below for more information or to make an Early Conciliation notification.
Holidays and Leave
Employees and workers are entitled to various types of leave depending on their circumstances and the length of time they have been employed.