Statutory Instrument 1996 No. 1919 (N.I. 16)

      The Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

      © Crown Copyright 1996

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STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS

1996 No. 1919 (N.I. 16)

NORTHERN IRELAND

The Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Made 23rd July 1996
Coming into operation 24th September 1996


ARRANGEMENT OF ORDER

PART I
INTRODUCTORY AND INTERPRETATION
CHAPTER I
CITATION AND COMMENCEMENT
1.  Citation and commencement.
CHAPTER II
INTERPRETATION - GENERAL
2.  Interpretation - general.
3.  Employees, workers.
4.  Associated employers.
5.  Normal working hours.
CHAPTER III
CONTINUOUS EMPLOYMENT
6.  Introductory.
7.  Period of continuous employment.
8.  Weeks counting in computing period.
9.  Intervals in employment.
10.  Special provisions for redundancy payments.
11.  Employment abroad etc.
12.  Industrial disputes.
13.  Reinstatement after military service.
14.  Change of employer.
15.  Reinstatement or re-engagement of dismissed employee.
CHAPTER IV
A WEEK'S PAY
Introductory
16.  Introductory.
Employments with normal working hours
17.  General.
18.  Remuneration varying according to time of work.
19.  Supplementary.
Employments with no normal working hours
20.  Employments with no normal working hours.
The calculation date
21.  Rights during employment.
22.  Rights on termination.
Maximum amount of week's pay
23.  Maximum amount.
Miscellaneous
24.  New employments and other special cases.
25.  Supplementary.
PART II
ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT
26.  Refusal of employment on grounds related to union membership.
27.  Refusal of service of employment agency on grounds related to union membership.
28.  Complaints to industrial tribunal.
29.  Determination of complaints.
30.  Complaint against employer and employment agency.
31.  Awards against third parties.
32.  Interpretation and other supplementary provisions.
PART III
EMPLOYMENT PARTICULARS
Right to statements of employment particulars
33.  Statement of initial employment particulars.
34.  Statement of initial particulars: supplementary.
35.  Note about disciplinary procedures and pensions.
36.  Statement of changes.
37.  Exclusion from rights to statements.
38.  Reasonably accessible document or collective agreement.
39.  Power of Department to require particulars of further matters.
Right to itemised pay statement
40.  Itemised pay statement.
41.  Standing statement of fixed deductions.
42.  Power to amend provisions about pay and standing statements.
Enforcement
43.  References to industrial tribunals.
44.  Determination of references.
PART IV
PROTECTION OF WAGES
Deductions by employer
45.  Right not to suffer unauthorised deductions.
46.  Excepted deductions.
Payments to employer
47.  Right not to have to make payments to employer.
48.  Excepted payments.
Cash shortages and stock deficiencies in retail employment
49.  Introductory.
50.  Limits on amount and time of deductions.
51.  Wages determined by reference to shortages etc.
52.  Limits on method and timing of payments.
53.  Limit on amount of payments.
54.  Final instalments of wages.
Enforcement
55.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
56.  Determination of complaints.
57.  Determinations: supplementary.
58.  Complaints and other remedies.
Supplementary
59.  Meaning of "wages" etc.
PART V
GUARANTEE PAYMENTS
60.  Right to guarantee payment.
61.  Exclusions from right to guarantee payment.
62.  Calculation of guarantee payment.
63.  Limits on amount of and entitlement to guarantee payment.
64.  Contractual remuneration.
65.  Power to modify provisions about guarantee payments.
66.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
67.  Exemption orders.
PART VI
PROTECTION FROM SUFFERING DETRIMENT ETC. IN EMPLOYMENT
CHAPTER I
RIGHTS NOT TO SUFFER DETRIMENT
68.  Health and safety cases.
69.  Trustees of occupational pension schemes.
70.  Employee representatives.
71.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
72.  Remedies.
CHAPTER II
ACTION SHORT OF DISMISSAL
73.  Action short of dismissal on grounds related to union membership or activities.
74.  Complaints to industrial tribunal.
75.  Consideration of complaint.
76.  Remedies.
77.  Awards against third parties.
PART VII
TIME OFF WORK
Public duties
78.  Right to time off for public duties.
79.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
Looking for work and making arrangements for training
80.  Right to time off to look for work or arrange training.
81.  Right to remuneration for time off under Article 80.
82.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
Ante-natal care
83.  Right to time off for ante-natal care.
84.  Right to remuneration for time off under Article 83.
85.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
Occupational pension scheme trustees
86.  Right to time off for pension scheme trustees.
87.  Right to payment for time off under Article 86.
88.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
Employee representatives
89.  Right to time off for employee representatives.
90.  Right to remuneration for time off under Article 89.
91.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
Trade union duties and activities
92.  Right to time off for carrying out trade union duties.
93.  Right to remuneration for time off under Article 92.
94.  Right to time off for trade union activities.
95.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
PART VIII
SUSPENSION FROM WORK
Suspension on medical grounds
96.  Right to remuneration on suspension on medical grounds.
97.  Exclusions from right to remuneration.
Suspension on maternity grounds
98.  Meaning of suspension on maternity grounds.
99.  Right to offer of alternative work.
100.  Right to remuneration.
General
101.  Calculation of remuneration.
102.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
PART IX
MATERNITY RIGHTS
General right to maternity leave
103.  General right to maternity leave.
104.  Commencement of maternity leave period.
105.  Duration of maternity leave period.
106.  Requirement to notify commencement of leave.
107.  Requirement to notify pregnancy etc.
108.  Requirement to notify return during maternity leave period.
109.  Redundancy during maternity leave period.
110.  Contractual rights to maternity leave.
Right to return to work
111.  Right to return to work.
112.  Requirement to notify return.
113.  Redundancy before return.
114.  Exercise of right to return.
115.  Notified day of return.
116.  Employee dismissed at or after end of maternity leave period.
117.  Contractual rights to return.
PART X
TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
Minimum period of notice
118.  Rights of employer and employee to minimum notice.
119.  Rights of employee in period of notice.
120.  Employments with normal working hours.
121.  Employments without normal working hours.
122.  Short-term incapacity benefit and industrial injury benefit.
123.  Supplementary.
Written statement of reasons for dismissal
124.  Right to written statement of reasons for dismissal.
125.  Complaints to industrial tribunal.
PART XI
UNFAIR DISMISSAL
CHAPTER I
RIGHT NOT TO BE UNFAIRLY DISMISSED
The right
126.  The right.
Dismissal
127.  Circumstances in which an employee is dismissed.
128.  Failure to permit return after childbirth treated as dismissal.
129.  Effective date of termination.
Fairness
130.  General.
131.  Pregnancy and childbirth.
132.  Health and safety cases.
133.  Trustees of occupational pension schemes.
134.  Employee representatives.
135.  Assertion of statutory right.
136.  Trade union membership or activities.
137.  Redundancy.
138.  Replacements.
139.  Pressure on employer to dismiss unfairly.
Exclusion of right
140.  Qualifying period of employment.
141.  Upper age limit.
142.  Dismissal procedures agreements.
143.  Dismissal of those taking part in unofficial industrial action.
144.  Dismissals in connection with other industrial action.
CHAPTER II
REMEDIES FOR UNFAIR DISMISSAL
Introductory
145.  Complaints to industrial tribunal.
146.  The remedies: orders and compensation.
Orders for reinstatement or re-engagement
147.  The orders.
148.  Order for reinstatement.
149.  Order for re-engagement.
150.  Choice of order and its terms.
151.  Enforcement of order and compensation.
Compensation
152.  General.
153.  Basic award.
154.  Basic award: minimum in certain cases.
155.  Basic award of two weeks' pay in certain cases..
156.  Basic award: reductions.
157.  Compensatory award.
158.  Limit of compensatory award etc.
159.  Special award.
160.  Acts which are both unfair dismissal and discrimination.
161.  Matters to be disregarded in assessing contributory fault.
162.  Dismissal of woman at or after end of maternity leave period.
Interim relief
163.  Interim relief pending determination of complaint.
164.  Procedure on hearing of application and making of order.
165.  Order for continuation of contract of employment.
166.  Application for variation or revocation of order.
167.  Consequence of failure to comply with order.
CHAPTER III
SUPPLEMENTARY
168.  Death of employer or employee.
169.  Awards against third parties.
PART XII
REDUNDANCY PAYMENTS ETC.
CHAPTER I
RIGHT TO REDUNDANCY PAYMENT
170.  The right.
CHAPTER II
RIGHT ON DISMISSAL BY REASON OF REDUNDANCY
Dismissal by reason of redundancy
171.  Circumstances in which an employee is dismissed.
172.  Failure to permit return after childbirth treated as dismissal.
173.  No dismissal in cases of renewal of contract or re-engagement.
174.  Redundancy.
Exclusions
175.  Summary dismissal.
176.  Renewal of contract or re-engagement.
177.  Employee anticipating expiry of employer's notice.
178.  Strike during currency of employer's notice.
179.  Provisions supplementary to Article 178.
Supplementary
180.  The relevant date.
181.  Provisions supplementing Articles 173 and 176.
CHAPTER III
RIGHT BY REASON OF LAY-OFF OR SHORT-TIME
Lay-off and short-time
182.  Meaning of "lay-off" and "short-time".
183.  Eligibility by reason of lay-off or short-time.
Exclusions
184.  Counter-notices.
185.  Resignation.
186.  Dismissal.
187.  Likelihood of full employment.
Supplementary
188.  The relevant date.
189.  Provisions supplementing Articles 183 and 187.
CHAPTER IV
GENERAL EXCLUSIONS FROM RIGHT
190.  Qualifying period of employment.
191.  Upper age limit.
192.  Exemption orders.
193.  Pension rights.
194.  Public offices etc.
195.  Overseas government employment.
196.  Domestic servants.
CHAPTER V
OTHER PROVISIONS ABOUT REDUNDANCY PAYMENTS
197.  Amount of a redundancy payment.
198.  References to industrial tribunals.
199.  Claims for redundancy payment.
200.  Written particulars of redundancy payment.
CHAPTER VI
PAYMENTS BY DEPARTMENT
201.  Applications for payments.
202.  Making of payments.
203.  Amount of payments.
204.  Information relating to applications for payments.
205.  References to industrial tribunals.
CHAPTER VII
SUPPLEMENTARY
Application of Part to particular cases
206.  Employment not under contract of employment.
207.  Termination of employment by statute.
208.  Employees paid by person other than employer.
Death of employer or employee
209.  Death of employer: dismissal.
210.  Death of employer: lay-off and short-time.
211.  Death of employee.
Equivalent payments
212.  References to industrial tribunals.
Other supplementary provisions
213.  Old statutory compensation schemes.
214.  Notices.
215.  Interpretation.
PART XIII
PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING REDUNDANCIES
Duty of employer to consult representatives of employees
216.  Duty of employer to consult representatives of employees.
217.  Complaint and protective award.
218.  Entitlement under protective award.
219.  Termination of employment during protected period.
220.  Complaint by employee to industrial tribunal.
Duty of employer to notify Department
221.  Duty of employer to notify Department of certain redundancies.
222.  Offence of failure to notify.
Supplementary provisions
223.  Construction of references to dismissal as redundant etc.
224.  Construction of references to representatives.
225.  Power to vary provisions.
226.  Power to adapt provisions in case of collective agreement.
PART XIV
INSOLVENCY OF EMPLOYERS
227.  Employee's rights on insolvency of employer.
228.  Insolvency.
229.  Debts to which Part applies.
230.  The appropriate date.
231.  Limit on amount payable under Article 227.
232.  Role of relevant officer.
233.  Complaints to industrial tribunals.
234.  Transfer to Department of rights and remedies.
235.  Power to obtain information.
PART XV
MISCELLANEOUS
CHAPTER I
PARTICULAR TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT
Crown employment etc.
236.  Crown employment.
237.  Armed forces.
238.  National security.
Excluded classes of employment
239.  Employment outside Northern Ireland.
240.  Fixed-term contracts.
241.  Short-term employment.
242.  Mariners.
243.  Police officers.
CHAPTER II
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS MATTER
Restrictions on disclosure of information
244.  National security etc.
Contracting out etc. and remedies
245.  Restrictions on contracting out.
246.  Law governing employment.
247.  Remedy for infringement of certain rights.
General provisions about death of employer or employee
248.  Institution or continuance of tribunal proceedings.
249.  Rights and liabilities accruing after death.
Modifications of Order
250.  Powers to amend Order.
PART XVI
GENERAL AND SUPPLEMENTARY
General
251.  Orders and regulations.
252.  Financial provisions.
Reciprocal arrangements
253.  Reciprocal arrangements with Great Britain.
254.  Reciprocal arrangements with Isle of Man.
Final provisions
255.  Consequential amendments.
256.  Transitionals, savings and transitory provisions.
257.  Repeals and revocations.

SCHEDULES:

  Schedule 1—  Consequential amendments.

  Schedule 2—  Transitional provisions, savings and transitory provisions.
  Part I— Transitional provisions and savings.
  Part II— Transitory provisions.

  Schedule 3—  Repeals.

 

Explanatory Note


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