Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2018 No. 79 (C. 7)

Employment

The Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (Commencement No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2018

Made

29th March 2018

The Department for the Economy(1), in exercise of the powers conferred by section 29(2) of the Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016(2), and now vested in it(3), makes the following Order:

Citation and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (Commencement No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2018.

(2) In this Order “the Act” means the Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.

Commencement

2.—(1) Section 22 of the Act shall come into operation on 30th March 2018.

(2) Section 27 and Schedule 3 of the Act shall come into operation on 30th March 2018 only in respect of the repeal to the Employment Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1999(4).

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for the Economy on 29th March 2018.

Chris Stewart

A senior officer of the

Department for the Economy

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into operation the provisions of the Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (2016 c. 15 (N.I.)) set out in Article 2.

Section 22 of the Act amends Article 33 of the Employment Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2790 (N.I. 9)). Article 33 provides for the indexation of certain awards payable under employment rights legislation. The amendments to that Article provide for changes to limits to be made on a fixed date, 6th April, each year and for the relevant calculations to be rounded up or down to the nearest whole pound. The amendments also provide the responsible Department with the ability to make an order at any time to vary such limits, subject to a draft of the order being laid before, and approved by, the Assembly. Where such an order is made, it may remove the requirement for indexation for a specified period.

NOTE AS TO EARLIER COMMENCEMENT ORDERS

(This note is not part of the Order)

The following provisions of the Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 have been brought into operation by commencement orders made before the date of this Order –

Provision	Date of Commencement	S.R. No.
Section 13 to 17, section 27(partially) and Schedule 3 (partially)	1st October 2017	2016 No. 199 (C. 12)

(1)

2016 c.5 (N.I.)

(2)

2016 c.15 (N.I.)

(3)

Functions relevant to this Order were transferred from the Department for Employment and Learning by S.R. 2016 No. 76, Article 6(1)(c)

(4)

S.I. 1999/2790 (N.I. 9)