Resources

This second episode in our 'This Thing Called Work' series sees former Chair of the LRA, Jim McCusker join our Chief Executive Mark McAllister to look back at the history of the organisation and labour relations in Northern Ireland, as well as Jim's time as Chair.

From 6 April 2026, Northern Ireland will become the first jurisdiction in the northern hemisphere to extend statutory Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay to include miscarriage and early pregnancy loss, covering the pregnant woman and anyone with a defined connection to the pregnancy. 

Listen to our comprehensive and sensitive webinar, designed to help HR professionals, managers, and business owners understand how these new rights apply in practice. This webinar blends legal clarity with practical guidance and a trauma‑informed approach, helping employers support their people with compassion and confidence.

Also, Frequently Asked Questions as an available resource.

This is a written transcript of the podcast 'Going Beyond Pay - Job Quality in Northern Ireland', which is our first podcast in 2026 and the first in our 'This Thing Called Work' series.

This podcast is our first of 2026 and the first in a new series called 'This Thing Called Work'.  

Our Chief Executive, Mark McAllister is joined by Dr Lisa Wilson, Senior Economist at the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI), for a fascinating discussion on the themes coming out of the "Going Beyond Pay: Job Quality In Northern Ireland - Results From The Skills And Employment Survey 2024" which was published in November 2025.  

Employment investigations play a critical role in ensuring fair, reasonable, and defensible workplace decisions. This updated guidance offers employers and HR professionals a clear, practical framework for conducting effective employment investigations that meet legal and good practice standards.

Using the PEACE Model, the guide walks through each stage of the investigatory process - from planning and interviewing to evidence‑gathering and reporting - while addressing key issues such as remote investigations, reasonable adjustments, investigator responsibilities, and lessons from recent case law. With templates, checklists, and real-world examples, this guidance helps employers conduct investigations that are fair, transparent, and proportionate, with confidence, consistency, and procedural fairness at the core.

The following information sets out the legal minimum requirements relating to holiday leave and pay. Note that an employer may offer more leave than the statutory 5.6 weeks minimum entitlement and any arrangements/payment relating to leave which, is in excess of the minimum entitlement, is a matter for agreement between the employer and worker. 

This knowledge nugget guides employers and workers in Northern Ireland through the statutory trade union derecognition process, covering eligibility criteria, Industrial Court procedures, negotiations ballots and their potential outcomes.

In our second podcast on this topic, Diane Edgington is joined by Mary McManus, Regional Manager, Living Wage NI, Sean McDonnell, owner/founder of Nine Squared Coffee, and Alison Gordon, Director of Development at The Court House, Bangor, to discuss the Real Living Wage plus the impact it has had for Sean and Alison since embarking on their journeys to becoming accredited Living Wage employers.

Refresh your understanding of apprenticeships with this quick knowledge nugget. Whether you're an employer looking to recruit or register apprentices, or someone exploring apprenticeship opportunities, you'll find useful guidance, key information, and an overview of apprenticeship rights and benefits.

This pack includes a guide to the Labour Relations Agency's Mediation service.  It also includes Frequently Asked Questions and a sample mediation referral form.