What are the relevant updates regarding right to work checks?

Posted in: First Tuesday Q&A NI on 05/04/2022 There are new right to work checks set to be introduced on the 6 April 2022, which will permit employers to used certified providers to undertake digital identity checks. The current adjusted right to work checks process was due to end on 5 April 2022. However, on 22 February 2022 the Home Office e...

What does the term “fire and rehire” mean?

Posted in: First Tuesday Q&A NI on 05/04/2022 The term “fire and rehire” is usually used to describe the practice where an employee’s contract of employment is terminated before that same employee is immediately re-employed by the same employer on new terms and conditions of employment. There has been calls for introducing new legislative prot...

Why might an employer face criminal prosecution if a collective redundancy process is not followed correctly?

Posted in: First Tuesday Q&A NI on 05/04/2022 There has been considerable media attention on P&O Ferries after it made 800 staff redundant with immediate effect, resulting in accusations that the correct redundancy process had not been followed and also accusations that P&O should face criminal proceedings. The staff of P&O Ferries...

What notice should employees give in order to take parental bereavement leave?

Posted in: First Tuesday Q&A NI on 01/03/2022 The rules regarding notification will be set out in the forthcoming regulations. However, by way of indication, we expect that that new rules will largely correspond with those applicable in Great Britain. In order to take parental bereavement leave in Great Britain, employees must give the employe...

Parental Bereavement Leave - What protections rights does an employee have?

Posted in: First Tuesday Q&A NI on 01/03/2022 Parents taking parental bereavement leave will be entitled to the same employment protections as those associated with other forms of family related leave i.e. maternity, paternity, adoption, parental and shared parental leave. This will include protection from detriment and dismissal as a result o...

What is the rate of paid parental bereavement leave and how will it be calculated?

Posted in: First Tuesday Q&A NI on 01/03/2022 Employees on parental bereavement leave may also be entitled to statutory parental bereavement pay if they can satisfy certain statutory eligibility criteria. In summary, the employee must: Be in employed by you for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks; Remain in that employment at least until...

Who is entitled to parental bereavement leave under the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill?

Posted in: First Tuesday Q&A NI on 01/03/2022 On 7 February 2022, the Northern Ireland Assembly passed the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill. It is anticipated that the new legislation will come into effect in April 2022, once the Bill has received Royal Assent and when further details have been set out in the accompanying regulations....

What is the law in Northern Ireland with regards to gender pay gap reporting?

Posted in: First Tuesday Q&A NI on 01/02/2022 The law in relation to gender pay gap reporting is set out in section 19 of the Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016. Section 19 specified that, no later than 30 June 2017, regulations were to be published and contain details of the regime. As a result of the collapse of the Northern Ireland Asse...

What are the rights of employees and workers to receive a payslip?

Posted in: First Tuesday Q&A NI on 01/02/2022 Currently, under Article 40 of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, it is only an employee who has the right to be given a written itemised pay statement from his employer which shall contain particulars such as: The gross amount of wages or salary; Amounts of any variable and fixe...

What rights do employers have to claim a refund of Statutory Sick Pay paid to employees under the current legislation?

Posted in: First Tuesday Q&A NI on 01/02/2022 Under the Statutory Sick Pay (Coronavirus) (Funding of Employers’ Liabilities) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022, small and medium size employers can reclaim some or all of their Statutory Sick Pay costs from HMRC. Under the legislation, the ‘eligible employer’ is the one who on the 30th November...