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Early Conciliation

From 27 January 2020, following a change in NI employment law, the Labour Relations Agency is now providing a new workplace dispute resolution service.  Click below for more information or to make an Early Conciliation notification.

COVID-19 Update

The Northern Ireland Engagement Forum was established by the Department for the Economy.  It is chaired by the Labour Relations Agency and comprises the Confederation of British Industry, Chambers of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses NI, Institute of Directors, Manufacturing NI, NI Retail Consortium, the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, SOLACE, the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), the Labour Relations Agency and the Public Health Agency.

The Forum advises the NI Executive on how best to manage the challenges Covid-19 places on NI businesses and workers.

The Forum has produced A Practical Guide to Making Workplaces Safer which has been approved by the NI Executive and is now available to support organisations and workers across Northern Ireland to take appropriate measures to keep everyone safe.

Workplace policies

Clear workplace policies and procedures help organisations to be productive, efficient and maintain high levels of staff morale.  Ensuring that everyone knows how and why things are done is a key component in establishing best employment practice.

Rights and responsibilities

Both employers and employees have certain rights and responsibilities towards each other.  Some will apply to everyone in the workplace, while others will be dependent on the individual’s working status.

Steps to resolve

When there is an issue in the workplace, employers and employees have a number of options and steps they can take to resolve it, ranging from informal conversations to formal processes and procedures.  

Maternity, Paternity and Parental leave

Pregnant employees are entitled to up to one year’s maternity leave.  Paternity leave is available if certain criteria are met.  Parents are also entitled to 18 weeks’ unpaid leave for each child up to their 18th birthday. 

Trade unions

The Industrial Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1992 defines a trade union as “an organisation (whether permanent or temporary) which … consists wholly or mainly of workers of one or more descriptions and is an organisation whose principal purposes include the regulation of relations between workers … and employers or employers’ associations. 

Who is an employee?

There are differences between ‘employees’, ‘workers’ and ‘contractors’.  These differences in status can affect their rights and responsibilities in the workplace.

Pay and wages

Employees and workers receive some form of payment in return for the work they do.

Hours and pay

The hours we work and the pay we receive for that work are two key factors when it comes to job satisfaction, feeling fulfilled, challenged and rewarded.   It is important that record keeping systems are robust, policies and communication about breaks and benefits are clear, and that people know their rights and responsibilities.