Did you miss an important employment law update? Subscribers to our Northern Ireland Employment Law Hub find quick and easy to keep up to date with developments in the world of HR and Employment Law. The Hub is a one-stop-shop for in-depth articles, case law analysis and updates relating specifically to how the law applies in Northern Ireland. It is fully searchable, available 24/7 and has a useful browse by topic function.

In case you missed it… here’s a quick recap of some of the topics that featured in September 2017:

• The “Gig Economy” and Zero Hours Contracts;
• The Gender Pay Gap;
• The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR);
• Reforms to whistleblowing legislation; and
• Should employers be permitted to monitor their employees' email and internet usage in the workplace?

GDPR

Chris Fullerton of Arthur Cox provides guidance on the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into force on 25 May 2018. He outlines the strict accountability requirements and offers advice on what is expected of organisations to ensure compliance with the new legal framework:
https://www.legal-island.com/articles/uk/features/q-and-a/2017/aug/how-to-achieve-compliance-with-gdpr/

Monitoring of Emails

Should employers be permitted to monitor their employees' email and internet usage in the workplace? Is it reasonable for an employer to check whether their employees are completing professional tasks during working hours? Would you consider this a violation of privacy? The case of Bărbulescu v. Romania [2017] ECtHR 61496/08 concerned an employer’s right to monitor the contents of their employees' private electronic communications. Read our summary of the case:
https://www.legal-island.com/articles/uk/case-law/2017/september/barbulescu-v-romania-2017/

The “Gig Economy” and Zero Hours Contracts

The Taylor Review has been the focus of media interest not least because of its scrutiny of the “gig economy” which has been subject to recent employment litigation on “worker” status but it also considers the implications of new forms of work on worker rights and responsibilities, as well as on employer freedoms and obligations. Majella Culbert, Senior Employment Solicitor and head of Employment in PwC Belfast, provides a valuable summary of the report outlining its key recommendations:
https://www.legal-island.com/articles/uk/features/supplementary/2017/aug/good-work-the-taylor-review/

The Gender Pay Gap

Lisa Bryson, Principal Associate of Eversheds Sutherland, offers expert advice on a variety of legal issues in her new series entitled ‘Let's Talk About…’ In the first of her series Lisa provides insight into gender pay gap reporting in Northern Ireland, discussing the key differences between GB and NI and what employers can do to identify and rectify any current or historical pay gaps:
https://www.legal-island.com/articles/uk/features/lets-talk-about/2017/sept/lets-talk-about-gender-pay-gap-reporting/

The Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (Commencement No.1) Order (Northern Ireland) 2017

The Order covers reforms made to public interest disclosure legislation in sections 13 to 17 of the Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016. Read a summary of the main provisions:
https://www.legal-island.com/articles/uk/features/review/2017/september/weekly-review-of-developments-2292017/

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Annual Review of Employment Law 2017

Have you seen the full programme and speaker line-up for the Annual Review of Employment Law 2017 conference yet? Over 344 of your peers have already registered to for their annual update... if you're thinking of joining them, you'll need to be quick:

[SOLD OUT] Thursday 9th November at Culloden Hotel, Holywood
OR
Tuesday 21st November at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Shaw's Bridge, Belfast [only 18 places left]