News and Articles

Unfair dismissal, Covid, health and safety- what employer’s need to know

23 March 2022 The Covid-19 pandemic has thrust health and safety claims under the Employment Rights (NI) Order into the spotlight. The Order provides a number of protections to staff in respect of health and safety complaints... READ

Unvaccinated employees who are required to self-isolate

18 February 2022 The position in Northern Ireland currently is if an individual is 18 or over and they are unvaccinated or have one dose only, but are considered a close contact of someone who has tested... READ

Annual leave calculations upon termination of employment

28 April 2021 Is an employee or worker entitled to a payment in lieu of annual leave upon termination, if they previously took unpaid leave as they were mistakenly treated as a self-employed independent contractor and did... READ

No jab – no job? Will the Covid-19 vaccine become an ‘Essential Criterion’ for new recruits?

26 February 2021 A large London based plumbing company recently announced its intention to make vaccine compliance part of its recruitment process. The owner defended the position by stating that he is just getting ahead of the... READ

Managing redundancy in the new normal

06 November 2020 Uncertainty prevails on the likely length of the pandemic, the level of government support available for businesses and the severity of the recession that will likely result. Redundancies are on the rise. The latest... READ

Strict rules apply on redundancy consultation process with staff

30 July 2020 Whilst the country continues to slowly make its way out of lockdown, with restrictions being relaxed on an almost weekly basis in Northern Ireland, unfortunately lockdown, as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic,... READ

Annual leave in the era of furlough

09 July 2020 With over 200,000 employees placed on ‘furlough’ in Northern Ireland as a result of covid-19 disruption and the availability of the Government’s CJRS furlough scheme until the end of October, managing an orderly usage... READ

Returning to work during Covid-19: Key Questions and Answers for Employers

22 May 2020 Should my employee be on furlough or SSP?  What if they are entitled to enhanced sick leave? Whether an employee should be on furlough or SSP is likely to depend on whether their sickness... READ

Absence Management & Disability Related Absence

28 February 2020 In a decision issued earlier this year, the Industrial Tribunal confirmed that an employer fairly dismissed an employee for persistent intermittent absence under an absence management process that did not take account of the... READ

Holiday pay: Are Bonus Payments Included?

17 January 2020 Caselaw in relation to the calculation of holiday pay under the Working Time Directive continues to present challenges for employers as the concept of ‘normal remuneration’ develops on a case by case basis.  Based... READ