حقوقك في أيرلندا الشمالية

o whether you are an employee of the agency or a worker (you will usually be a
‘worker’ if you carry out temporary work through a *recruitment agency*);
o the fact that you will be paid for all the work you do;
o how much warning you must give, or are entitled to receive, to end the
employment;
o the minimum rate of pay you will receive and how often you will be paid, for
example, weekly or monthly; and
o the amount of paid annual leave that you will be given.
What should I do if I have a complaint about a *recruitment agency*?
You should contact the Department for Employment and Learning’s Employment Agency
Inspectorate, which is responsible for enforcing regulations governing the conduct of
recruitment agencies in Northern Ireland. See the Useful contacts list at the end of this
chapter for more details.
4.5.6 How do I enforce any of my rights if I feel my employer has not fulfilled his/her legal
responsibilities?
If you feel your employer has not fulfilled his/her responsibilities towards you the best way
to proceed is to ask your trade union or an advice agency for advice. If you are not a
member of a trade union you should ask a colleague how to join. Otherwise, you can
contact one of the agencies listed in Useful contacts at the end of this chapter.
4.5.7 Should I take legal proceedings against my employer?
If you have a problem or grievance you may wish to speak to your employer informally
about it first. If this is unsuccessful, you should put your grievance in writing and then meet
with your employer to discuss the problem. If you are still dissatisfied, you should appeal. If
these steps do not resolve the problem you can take your case to an Industrial Tribunal.
If you are an ‘employee’ you should follow the guidance set out in the Labour Relations
Agency Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures (see Useful contacts
below). If you fail to do so, any compensation you receive could be reduced by up to 50%.
The Labour Relations Agency also provides mediation and conciliation services which can
help you and your employer try to resolve any dispute before taking legal action or before
the case gets to the tribunal hearing.
4.5.8 What is an Industrial Tribunal?
Industrial Tribunals are courts which only deal with employment cases. The Fair
Employment Tribunal deals with claims of religious or political discrimination. You can
represent yourself at an Industrial Tribunal. However, it is always advisable to contact your
trade union or at least obtain some advice on how to proceed.
4.5.9 Is there any time limit within which I need to make a complaint to the Industrial
Tribunal?
It is very important to remember that most employment-related complaints must be made
to the tribunal within three months of the event which led to the complaint. The limit for
claiming a redundancy payment from an employer is usually six months.
70