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Contractor versus Employee versus Worker
Employees, workers and contractors have different rights and responsibilities.
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.
Induction
When an employee starts work, the employer has a duty of care towards them. This includes making sure that they can do the job safely and competently.
Holidays and final pay
Employers must pay their employees for statutory holidays (contractual holidays may differ) that have been built up but not taken at the time they leave their employment.
Maternity Leave
The law sets out the legal minimum leave entitlements for mothers.
Agreements between employers and employees may provide for better arrangements than the statutory minimum.
Working Time Regulations
In addition to the rights outlined around qualifying periods, a number of other rights and responsibilities exist. These relate to rest breaks, the number of hours a worker can be required to work and paid leave.
Tests and checks
Employers can do various checks to make sure future employees can do the job they are being hired to do, that they are entitled to work in Northern Ireland, and that they are not barred from working with vulnerable groups.
Probationary periods
Employers may sometimes state that a contract of employment is permanent subject to the completion of a satisfactory probationary period.
Safety Committee / Representatives
The Safety Representative and Safety Committees Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1979 apply to organisations that have recognised trade unions for collective bargaining purposes.