Employment

A new statutory entitlement to domestic violence leave has come into effect. Under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, anyone experiencing or at risk of domestic violence will be entitled to take five days' leave in order to access supports. They will also be entitled to ful

RDJ partner Michelle Ryan examines the first WRC ruling on statutory sick pay under legislation which came into force this year. Employers and employment practitioners have eagerly awaited a first decision under the new Sick Leave Act 2022 which has been in force since January 2023. The decision in

Seamus McGranaghan, director at O'Reilly Stewart Solicitors, considers the risks for Northern Ireland employers ahead of Christmas party season. As employees begin to look forward to Christmas parties with colleagues, the banter that goes with the festive season is usually taken as part and parcel o

Specialist boutique employment law firm McInnes Dunne Murphy LLP has appointed Jane Babb as a consultant and Fiona Sharkey as a senior associate. Ms Sharkey joins from one of the biggest Irish law firms, where she trained and practised as an employment solicitor for eight years. She advises on the f

The Supreme Court has confirmed that that a five-point test applies in respect of identifying whether contracts are ‘contracts of service’ or ‘contracts for service’. Delivering judgment for the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Brian Murray cautioned that the judgment did not bind a

The UK Supreme Court this month rejected an appeal challenging a decision which found that police officers and staff in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) were historically underpaid holiday pay since 1998, up to a total value of £30 million. Delivering the judgment, Lord Kitchin an

Almost two-thirds of Irish workplaces have had to conduct an investigation in the last year, according to a survey by Mason Hayes & Curran. The business law firm surveyed 280 employers from both the public and private sectors during a recent employment law webinar which provided practical tips a

Belfast-based GDPR consultancy Briefed has backed calls for governments across the UK and Ireland to introduce statutory leave for employees who have experienced a baby loss. Briefed — a UK-wide company founded and led by three Northern Ireland barristers — is supporting the campaign led

Yesterday's UK Supreme Court ruling on underpayments to PSNI officers and staff will have significant implications for employers in Northern Ireland, lawyers at Lewis Silkin have said. Thousands of PSNI officers are set to receive up to £30 million in backdated holiday pay after judges ruled t

Employment lawyers Orla Sheils and Sarah Havlin are among four new board members appointed to Northern Ireland's Labour Relations Agency (LRA). The LRA is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for the Economy, offering impartial advice to both employees and employers. It has re

Thousands of PSNI officers are set to receive up to £30 million in backdated holiday pay after the UK Supreme Court this morning ruled that the force must rectify underpayments dating back to 1998. Belfast firms McCartan Turkington Breen (MTB) and Edwards & Co Solicitors represented separa

New guidance for organisations whose employees are exposed to sensitive content in the course of their work, such as images of graphic violence or sexual abuse, has been published by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the State Claims Agency (SCA). The new document has been drawn up in respon

An employment regulation order for the security industry has been signed following the lifting of a High Court injunction last month. The order, which will see the minimum rate of pay for some 16,000 workers in the sector increase from €11.65 to €12.90 per hour, was originally set to be co

Nearly 500 employment equality complaints were received by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in the first half of 2023, with disability, gender and race making up the bulk of complaints. Figures published by the WRC show that it received 466 employment equality complaints and 222 equal status

Barry Crushell considers the recent case of an employee dismissed by their employer over a social media post. As of 2023, it is estimated that 4.89 billion people worldwide use social media. Statistics show that on average, internet users spend 151 minutes a day on social networks. Currently, TikTok