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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.
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.
Fall Back Scheme – Parental leave
The Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 introduced a right to Parental Leave for parents of any child under the age of 18.
Time off for trade union duties and activities
An employee who is an official of an independent trade union is entitled to paid time off in certain circumstances.
Mediation
An independent mediator can sometimes help resolve grievance or disciplinary issues. There is no charge for using the Labour Relations Agency's mediation service.
Shared Parental Leave (SPL)
SPL is a legal entitlement for eligible parents of babies due, or children placed for adoption, on or after 5 April 2015.
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.
Deducting training costs from final pay
This section covers deducting training costs from final pay.
Changes to Fit Note requirements in Northern Ireland
The requirements for doctors fit notes in Northern Ireland have been amended to remove the need for a doctor to produce a fit note in ink. The change becomes live from the 6th April 2022.
The Department For Communities have explained the change here.
The legislation for the change can be found here or on our dedicated legislation pages on this website. (click the legislation button at the top of this page)
New rates for statutory payments in force from April 2024.
From April 2024 a number of statutory payment rates increase for the 2024-25 financial year.
Below are the links which relate to the changes in respect of Social Security Benefits and the increases in limits to the Employment Rights Order.