Employment

Northern Ireland's labour market is showing "signs of continued improvement" with fears of mass unemployment seemingly averted, an employment law expert at DWF has said. The latest monthly labour market report was published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) yesterday.

Employment law specialist firm Lewis Silkin has announced the appointment of two new associates in its Dublin and Belfast offices. Laura Ensor, formerly of Matheson, has been appointed a senior associate in Dublin and Jack Balmer, formerly of Tughans, has joined as an associate in Belfast.

The board of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has been unable to meet for months due to unfilled vacancies, according to reports. There are currently just two board members, with seven positions vacant since the end of September 2021, The Times reports. The board is therefore unable to reach

Northern Ireland's Labour Relations Agency (LRA) has reported a spike in calls from the hospitality sector following the emergence of the Omicron variant. The LRA's workplace information service (WIS) has seen a dramatic increase in calls over the past two weeks, most of which have been distress cal

The Irish government has published a new information handbook on rights and remedies available to employees facing collective redundancy. The publication of the handbook fulfils one of the key commitments in the government's plan of action on collective redundancies following insolvency.

Changes in Northern Ireland’s labour market are aligned with global post-pandemic trends, with the adoption of a ‘hybrid working’ model regarded as the best means of retaining and attracting talent, a conference as heard. The International Agencies Conference was co-hosted by the L

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has launched its latest strategy statement for the period from 2022 to 2024. The statement, titled Meeting Stakeholder Expectations in a Changing World of Work, sets out its plans to provide an "appropriate mix of remote, hybrid and in-person services", as we

People working in the so-called "gig economy", such as Deliveroo riders and Uber drivers, could gain formal employment rights under proposals from the European Commission. A proposed EU Directive would ensure that people working through digital labour platforms are granted the legal employment statu

The Supreme Court has held that the Labour Court erred in concluding that a worker who complained about pain while working did not make a protected disclosure to his employer. It was held that the Labour Court did not properly set out the findings of fact relating to the worker’s complaint to

Victims and survivors of domestic abuse in Northern Ireland will have the right to 10 days' paid leave from work under a private members' bill which cleared a major parliamentary hurdle yesterday. The Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill, introduced by Green Party MLA Rachel Woods, passed second stage i

Cleaver Fulton Rankin has announced the appointment of Suzanne Keenan as a director in the firm's employment team, specialising in employment and HR matters. Ms Keenan has over 10 years' experience in employment law, advising on the full scope of employment law issues as well as representing clients

Sinn Féin has launched a bill to ban zero-hour contracts in Northern Ireland. Jemma Dolan, the party's workers' rights spokesperson, will launch the bill in the Northern Ireland Assembly today.

Most companies are still planning to return to the office in spite of the Delta variant, according to a survey by Littler of in-house lawyers, HR officials and business leaders across Europe. The employment and labour law practice has released its fourth annual European employer survey report, compl

Restaurants will be required to set out their tipping policy to customers under new legislation aimed at protecting employees' tips, the government has announced. Tánaiste and enterprise minister Leo Varadkar said the legislation, approved by ministers yesterday, would address concerns about

The government has formally approved a recommendation from the Labour Court for new minimum pay rates to workers in the construction sector. A number of trade unions applied to the Labour Court for a review of the terms and conditions of workers in the construction sector, in accordance with section