Summer 2009 Employment Law Bulletin

Welcome to the Summer edition of the O’Reilly Stewart Employment Law Bulletin which highlights the practical employment issues which many businesses are likely to face.

Bonuses and Exercising Your Discretion

In these tough economic times, it is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to continue to pay bonuses. However, care should be taken if, as an employer, you do not pay a bonus to an employee.

Employment Tribunals – 10 key facts

There are two forms of Employment Tribunal in Northern Ireland: the Fair Employment Tribunal and the Industrial Tribunal, the former hearing claims of discrimination and the latter hearing other claims such as unfair dismissal.

Flexible Working

The right for parents to request to work flexibly has been in force since 2003 in Northern Ireland under the Employment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 ("the Order") and was extended in 2007 to allow carers of adults over the age of 18 to request to work flexibly.

Employment Contracts

An employment contract forms as soon as an employee accepts a job offer and starts work. This contract subsists throughout the employment relationship whether it is in writing or not.

These articles are a general overview of some of the employment issues facing employers and highlights potential problems which can be encountered. Legal advice should be sought if you require detailed information on specific issues. O’Reilly Stewart has a dedicated team of skilled and experienced lawyers with an established reputation in the employment sector.

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