Employment
Protection of Employment Act with wages councils
The Protection of Employment Act governs notice, termination and severance, and Wages Councils set minimum wages by sector rather than a single national minimum. The Trade Disputes (Arbitration and Enquiry) Act provides machinery for collective disputes, and the Labour Department conciliates individual complaints. Contributions to the National Insurance Services are compulsory for employers.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National; sectoral minimum wages set by Wages Councils
- Deadline — Unfair dismissal complaint: within three months of dismissal
- Deadline — Severance: due on redundancy by reference to completed years of service
- Deadline — National insurance contributions: remitted monthly
Governing law
- Protection of Employment Act
- Wages Councils Act
- Trade Disputes (Arbitration and Enquiry) Act
- National Insurance Act
In practice
The sectoral minimum wage structure means there is no single figure to quote, and an employer must identify the applicable Wages Council order for the industry, which is a common compliance failure in tourism and construction. Severance under the Protection of Employment Act is statutory and payable on genuine redundancy regardless of any notice paid.