The Department for the Economy launched the ‘Good Jobs’ Employment Rights Bill consultation which sets out significant, potential reforms to Northern Ireland employment law, including proposed changes to terms of employment, pay and benefits, voice and representation and work-life balance laws.
This has been long anticipated and is far reaching, covering many areas of employment law. Ahead of the consultation’s closure on September 30, at Lewis Silkin we are urging employers in Northern Ireland to engage with the consultation process, as its outcomes will impact businesses across the country.
To this end we embarked on a unique exercise to harvest the views and opinions from business leaders to inform a collective response providing government with a strong impression of the business community’s reaction.
Some of the proposed changes, such as a potential overhaul of zero-hour contracts, how holiday pay is calculated and increasing trade unions’ rights to access workplaces have the potential to significantly impact employers right across Northern Ireland.
As the first major employment law consultation in Northern Ireland in over 10 years, it is an important time for employers across NI to engage with the proposals and share their views on how the potential changes could impact their business.
Paul Gillen of Lewis Silken
The proposed Bill covers a wide range of employment rights including ‘voice and representation’ proposals such as a reduction in the number of employees that unions need to seek formal recognition in workplaces.
Also noted are proposed pay and benefits changes include fair and transparent allocation of tips to workers, extending a right to a payslip and clarity of payslip information.
Work-life balance reforms are also on the table with proposed reforms including a right to request flexible working from the first day of employment, one week’s carer’s leave (potentially paid) and enhanced paternity and neonatal leave.
There are some surprises: access to apprenticeship levy funds, protection in holiday claims and restrictions on probationary periods did not make it into the consultation. It remains to be seen whether these do come up through the consultation process or indeed feature in any new Employment Bill.
We welcome this consultation, and with the potential changes proposed, employers across Northern Ireland need to take this opportunity to share thoughts and insights to help shape our consultation response
We are encouraging all stakeholders to engage in this by responding directly to the department’s consultation to give a voice to businesses in this important process.
Paul Gillen is a partner in law firm Lewis Silkin’s employment, immigration and reward division in Belfast. The Department for the Economy’s consultation closes on Monday September 30 at 5pm. To respond, to go https://consultations.nidirect.gov.uk/dfe/good-jobs-employment-rights-bill/