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Potential Problems at Christmas Time
The Labour Relations Agency Workplace Information Service receives enquiries every Christmas from businesses with questions and problems.
To help you prepare and avoid potential issues we have compiled some frequently asked questions which we receive each Christmas season.
Resignation and termination of employment
A contract of employment may be ended with the agreement of both parties, or by the employer or employee giving the required amount of notice.
Public holidays and bank holidays
Employees are not automatically entitled to paid time off for bank and public holidays.
Disciplinary or grievance hearings
Workers have the right to take paid time off during working hours to accompany fellow workers employed by the same employer to certain disciplinary and grievance hearings.
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.
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.
Annual Closedowns
Employers may elect to close their business at certain times of the year. (Christmas/new year)
Conciliation services
We offer free conciliation services to help parties involved in a workplace dispute to come to a legally binding resolution, without needing to go through a public tribunal. We offer both individual conciliation and collective conciliation, for example where an issue affects a number of employees.
Interviews
When replies to the job advertisement have been received, it is appropriate to:
• match applications against the job description and person specification;
• eliminate applicants who do not have the basic requirements for the job; and
• draw up a shortlist of candidates for interview.
Leave for Flexible working hearings
Parents of children under the age of seventeen (or disabled children under the age of eighteen) and carers of adults have the right to apply to their employer to work more flexibly.