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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)

Keep up to date with the Labour Relations Agency

Keep up to date with the latest news and events around workplace relations in Northern Ireland

Qualifying periods

Most people are entitled to the rights outlined below. However, in many cases, qualifying conditions must be fulfilled before a right may be claimed. Some rights apply to all employees as soon as they start work; others depend on factors such as length of service, continuity of employment and activities in addition to the job, for example, union work.

Do you need assistance to complete the Early Conciliation form?

If you are unable to complete the Early Conciliation notification form online you can:

- contact the Labour Relations Agency on 03300 552 224 and a staff member will take the details over the phone;

- download and complete the form by hand and post it to one of the Labour Relations Agency's offices at:

2-16 Gordon Street, Belfast, BT1 2LG or

3rd Floor, Richmond Chambers, The Diamond, Derry/Londonderry, BT48 6HN; or

- call in to one of our offices where we can provide a private space for you to complete the online form.

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.”

Trade Union learning representatives

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.