HR News & Compliance Blog

According to the latest Labour Market statistics, over the year May 2023 to April 2024, 2,380 redundancies were confirmed in Northern Ireland, more than double the figure for the previous year of 1,160. And with redundancies on the rise in Northern Ireland, it is imperative for employers to bear in…

Q1) What kinds of things should I be mindful of in relation to employees while pregnant, on and after Maternity Leave? Each case will depend on its individual circumstances related to the employee and their work situation, meaning a blanket approach is unlikely to be adequate. However, there are a…

Q1) What are the first things I should do when an employee notifies me they are pregnant? It can sometimes come as a surprise when a employee notifies you that they are expecting a child.  Firstly, it is important not to make assumptions or judgments around the circumstances.    It is…

Q1) Is Flexible Working now a “Day One Right”? Firstly, to be clear, employees do not have a right to flexible working, but they do have a right to make a flexible working request.   Employment Rights (Flexible Working) Act 2023 is new legislation which came into effective on April…

Q1)    What is a Young Worker? Those who are over compulsory school age, and are 16 or 17, the law refers to as  young workers.  (Compulsory school age is up to the end of the academic year of their 16th birthday). Those aged 18 or over, get the same…

Q1) What is the difference in NMW and NLW? Basically the National Minimum Wage (NMW) came first.  This was first introduced through the National Minimum Wage act in 1998 and gave minimum rates for all workers from 18 years of age. The starting rates in 1999 were; £3.00 p/h (18-21yrs)…

Women make up nearly half of the working population in Northern Ireland and with the change in pension age, it is likely that more women will be working into later life. This changing demography, together with an employer’s duty of care to their employees and a greater openness in discussing…

The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2023 came into force on 1st January 2024 and make amendments to the Working Time Regulations (NI) 2016 by amending: Regulation 15 (Entitlement to annual leave) Regulation 16 (Entitlement to additional annual leave) Regulation 20 (Payment in respect of periods of leave) In summary,…

WhatsApp messaging is becoming increasingly popular in the workplace as a way for colleagues to communicate with each other. However, it can present its own set of challenges, as illustrated in a recent case where teachers were swearing and using poo emojis on the messaging service to criticise vulnerable students.…

The Christmas party season will soon be in full swing and the day to dig out your Christmas jumper has nearly arrived! These types of traditions have become annual features on the festive calendar for many workplaces. Staff often look forward to them with great enthusiasm, keen to embrace the…

There is the common misconception that it will be difficult to secure a fair dismissal if an employee has not been suspended following an allegation of serious misconduct. However, the reality is that an employer should really only look at suspension when there is no other option and it is…

Following a ruling by the Supreme Court, many UK workers may be entitled to thousands of pounds in miscalculated holiday pay. The judgment, handed down last week (4 October 2023), determined that thousands of police staff in Northern Ireland would be able to reclaim up to 35 years’ worth of miscalculated holiday…