Current Region & Language

Northern Ireland

Employment in Northern Ireland

Updated on: April 1, 2025

Currency

British Pound Sterling (GBP)

Employer Taxes

Total: 18.5% 15% (NI) + 3% (pension) + 0.5% (Apprenticeship Levy)

Payroll Frequency

Monthly or Biweekly

Language

English

Date Format

DD/MM/YYYY

Northern Ireland By The Numbers

1.9 million

Population

GBP 50 billion (part of UK)

GDP

8

National Holidays

Country Information

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Weekly Working Hours

Regular working hours are limtied to a maximum of 48 hours per week (averaged over a period of 17 weeks). Employees can choose to opt out of the regulations by way of a written agreement. There is no statutory requirement to pay employees for overtime.

National Holidays

  • New Year’s Day
  • St. Patrick’s Day
  • Easter Monday
  • May Day
  • Orange Order Day
  • August Holiday
  • Christmas
  • Boxing Day

Leave

Employees are entitled to various types of leave, including holiday leave, sick leave, maternity leave, and paternity leave.

Employment Contracts

Employers are required to provide a written key terms statement, agreed upon by both parties, within one month of the employee commencing employment. Additionally, a written employment contract is mandatory for full-time, part-time, temporary, and fixed-term employment arrangements.

Types of Employment

Employees, temporary agency workers, and independent contractors are all recognized types of employment.

Employment Costs

Total: 18.5% 15% (NI) + 3% (pension) + 0.5% (Apprenticeship Levy)

IC Class Factors

A status assessment is multi-faceted and dependent upon a number factors and a totality approach is required in order to determine the outcome. Prevalent considerations include (but are not limited to) an analysis of the degree of control, subordination, exclusivity, economic risk of individual, integration into the organisation, subcontracting of work and the right to substitution.

Labor Leasing

Temporary worker placement does not require a labor leasing licensing.

Minimum Wage Requirements

The minimum wage is £12.21 GBP per hour.

Medical Benefits

Statutory Sick Pay (£118.75) payable by the employer for up to 28 weeks
Access to National Health Service for healthcare.

Probationary Periods

The probationary period is typically 6 months long.

Termination Notice

Upon termination, employees are entitled to a notice period of one week for each continuous year of employment, with a minimum of one week and a maximum of 12 weeks.

Severance

Employees may be entitled to severance pay calculated as 1.5 weeks of pay for each year of service, depending on their age, with a maximum of 20 years of service considered. Additionally, compensation for loss of office, typically equivalent to three to twelve months’ salary, may be payable if proper termination procedures are not followed.

Pre-hire Checks

Pre-employment checks may include immigration or right-to-work verification, credit checks (if justified by the role and with the employee’s consent), and criminal record checks (if relevant to the position). Pregnancy tests are prohibited by law, while health screenings are permitted only under limited circumstances.

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