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Problems at work?
What you need to know about dealing with problems at work.
This leaflet provides information for employees in Northern Ireland. This leaflet does not provide legal advice.
Hybrid Working Podcast
Hybrid working is one of the biggest drivers of change for organisations in the UK and Ireland. We are joined by leading HR practitioner, thinker and author, Gary Cookson and Ana Desmond, Senior Economist at the University of Ulster, and co-author of recent research "Is remote working, working?", to discuss how organisations should approach the topic, and ways they can get it working for them.
CMRS Statistics - Annual Statistics 2020-2021(April 2020 - March 2021)
This spreadsheet sets out our conciliation statistics for the reporting year 2020-2021 (April 2020 - March 2021).
These statistics contain finally adjusted figures resulting from end of year case reconciliations.
Economy Minister welcomes new legislation to protect Northern Ireland workers
Economy Minister Diane Dodds has welcomed new employment legislation which will benefit workers across Northern Ireland.
The Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (Protection from Detriment in Health and Safety Cases) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021 extends protections against detriment in health and safety cases to workers in relation to any action they may take to protect themselves or others where they reasonably believe there is serious and imminent danger in their place of work.
It will come into operation on 31 May 2021. At present, these protections cover only employees.
The Order must be approved by a resolution of the Assembly within six months of coming into operation. It must therefore be confirmed on or before 31 November 2021.
The move has its origins in a Judicial Review brought by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain against the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain.
A High Court Judgment was published in November which directed that the Health and Safety Framework Directive and the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Directive should apply to a wider group of workers, not just employees.
Minister Dodds said: “This Order is about more than about responding appropriately to the decision of a High Court ruling. It will also give clarity to business and individuals.
“As businesses emerge from lockdown, everyone will need to be protected during the transition back to the workplace.
“This Order will allow some of our most vulnerable workers the legal protection they need to act to ensure their own safety and the safety of others without fear of suffering detriment for doing the right thing. This includes protecting them against being denied promotion or training opportunities.”
Hybrid Working - Here to stay or past its use-by date?
There has been a noticeable drift back to the workplace following the pandemic, with the proportion of NI employees working remotely for some of the time falling from 41% in April 2020 to 17%. Ironically, even Zoom has recently decided to bring its staff back to the office for at least part of the week.
With this in mind, CIPD NI and the Labour Relations Agency ran a webinar on 16 October 2023 to take stock of the HR profession’s experience of hybrid working to date. CIPD NI Branch Chair Nicola Barber hosted the event, and we were joined by an expert panel comprising:
• Ulster University Economist Ana Desmond, co-author of ‘Is remote working, working?’ – research into remote working patterns in NI, published in August 2023;
• Leading HR practitioner and thinker Gary Cookson, author of ‘HR for Hybrid Working’ published in June 2022; and,
• Caroline Samia from the Labour Relations Agency.
The event was recorded, and is now available to view below. The slide deck used during the event is also available for download.
Vision
It is our vision to be widely recognised as Northern Ireland’s leading authority in promoting productive working relationships for the benefit of individuals and organisations and to support the creation of a thriving and inclusive economy.
Webinar - Handling Workplace Grievances
In the ever-evolving landscape of the modern workplace, it's crucial to understand how to effectively manage and address grievances. Whether you're an employee, a manager, or an HR professional, having a solid grasp of the grievance process is essential for maintaining a healthy and productive work environment.
In this webinar, we'll explore the following key areas:
- Understanding the legislative framework underpinning workplace grievances in Northern Ireland.
- Awareness of general principles supporting an effective procedure.
- The process for handling grievances.
- Dealing with common issues that may arise.
Leaflet 4. Induction Programme
February 2016
Once the employee starts working for you, you have a duty of care towards them. This includes making sure they can do the job both safely and competently. The best way to ensure this is through a structured induction programme.
Statistics Hub
The Labour Relations Agency produces a wide range of statistics in the course of its service delivery. We believe that a lot of the information we hold may be of interest to a range of individuals, including researchers and students, and groups including trade unions and employer organisations.
So when releasing statistics we choose those which we think are of wide interest.
Resources
We provide a range of resources to help you navigate employment relations in Northern Ireland.
Please note that on 6 December 2022 we will have moved our Head Office to new premises at James House, 2-4 Cromac Avenue, the Gasworks, Belfast. However, some of our guides and resources may still have our old, Gordon Street address on them. We are systematically working our way through to update them with the new address. Phone numbers (03300 555 300 and 03300 552 220) and email addresses remain the same.