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Constructive dismissal
An employee may make a claim of constructive dismissal if they feel they had no choice but to resign, for example if they feel that there has been a fundamental breach or change to their contract.
Rests and breaks
Employees are entitled to breaks for meals and to rest. As far as possible employers should provide breaks, facilities and comfortable surroundings for additional needs such as breastfeeding or expressing milk.
No. 110 Maternity and Parental leave etc. (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002
These Regulations amend the 1999 Regulations of the same name and essentially revoke the previous restriction which meant that parental leave uses only exercisable in relation to children born or placed for adoption on or after 15th December 1999.
The Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (Administration) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022
These Regulations provide for the funding of employers’ liabilities to make payments of statutory parental bereavement pay; they also impose obligations on employers in connection with such payments and confer powers on the Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (“the Commissioners”).
Under regulation 3, an employer is entitled to an amount equal to 92 per cent. of payments made by the employer of statutory parental bereavement pay, or the whole of such payments if the employer is a small employer. Regulations 4 to 7 provide for employers to be reimbursed through deductions from income tax, national insurance and other payments that they would otherwise make to the Commissioners, and for the Commissioners to fund payments to the extent that employers cannot be fully reimbursed in this way. Regulation 8 enables the Commissioners to recover overpayments to employers.
Regulation 9 requires employers to maintain records relevant to the payment of statutory parental bereavement pay to employees or former employees, and regulation 10 empowers officers of Revenue and Customs to inspect, copy or remove employers’ payment records.
Regulation 11 requires an employer who decides not to make any, or any further, payments of statutory parental bereavement pay to an employee or a former employee to give that person the details of the decision and the reasons for it. Regulations 12 and 13 provide for officers of Revenue and Customs to determine issues relating to a person’s entitlement to statutory parental bereavement pay. Regulation 14 provides for employers, employment agencies, persons claiming statutory parental bereavement pay and others to furnish information or documents to an officer of Revenue and Customs on request.
No.102 The Industrial Tribunals (Interest on awards in Sex and Disability Discrimination cases) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007
These Regulations amend the 1996 Regulations of the same name by clarifying that awards calculated in Sex or Disability discrimination cases on which interest is calculated does not include an award in respect of costs, allowances or preparation time.
No 149 The Maternity Allowance (Curtailment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015
These Regulations enable a woman to end her Maternity Allowance early so that an eligible person (a spouse, civil partner, partner or the child’s father) can take the remaining number of untaken weeks of Maternity Allowance as shared parental pay and/or shared parental leave.
Discrimination
Employers have a legal duty to ensure that they do not treat an individual less favourably on any grounds related to their age, gender, marital status, disability, race/nationality, sexual orientation, religious belief or political opinion.
National Fraud Initiative Notice
The Labour Relations Agency is required to protect the public funds it administers. It may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud.
Effective Joint Committees
This Guide provides information on Joint Committees which promote positive working relationships between employees or their representatives with employers, and encourage good engagement and sound communications.
Types of problems
Problems can arise in any workplace. Below are some examples, though not an exhaustive list. Employers, employees and their representatives may find it helpful to refer to the Labour Relations Agency's codes of practice, sample letters, flowcharts and guides. Our service is confidential and all our resources are free of charge to anyone working to prevent or resolve a workplace issue in Northern Ireland.