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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.
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.
Labour Relations Agency Tees Off Event on Hiring Seasonal Staff
Employers in the Causeway Coast and Glens area, who plan to hire seasonal staff during the 148th British Open golf tournament, are invited to attend a free event jointly hosted by the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) and local Council.
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)
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.
Redundancy
When employers wish to make employees redundant they must follow a clear and fair process. The Labour Relations Agency has a redundancy flowchart which can help employers and employees in this situation.
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.
Arms-Length Body (ALB) Review of the Labour Relations Agency (LRA)
In April 2023 the Department for the Economy (DfE) engaged Business Consultancy Services (BCS) to complete a review of the Labour Relations Agency (LRA). The review was conducted in line with Cabinet Office guidance, namely Tailored Reviews: Guidance on Reviews of Public Bodies (May 2019) and Guidance on the undertaking of Reviews of Public Bodies (December 2022).
Hours of work
The amount of hours and employee works for employer should be clearly laid out in the employment contract.
Young worker
Young workers are workers who are over school-leaving age and are under 18.