05/04/2024

NORTHERN IRELAND: INCREASE IN TRIBUNAL AWARDS (April 2024)

This time of year is all about various increases to payments and awards including statutory payments, national minimum and living wages, injury to feelings awards and other statutory Tribunal awards.

In line with increases applying in the Employment Tribunals in Great Britain, the Northern Ireland Executive has passed The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024  which as published on 27 March 2024. The Economy Minister also announced annual increase in limits for unfair dismissal and redundancy payments.

The Order confirms the new statutory caps on certain awards of Industrial and Fair Employment Tribunals and other amounts payable under employment legislation. Like its Great Britain counterpart it comes into operation on 6 April 2024 and reflects the RPI increases of 8.9% (for the period September 2022 to September 2023).

MAIN ONES TO NOTE:

• Northern Ireland Week’s Pay* limit increases from £669 to £729
  *used in the calculation of statutory redundancy payments
  (Great Britain increased from £643 to £700)
• Northern Ireland Compensatory Award increases from £105,915 to £115,341
  (Great Britain increased from £105,707 to £115,115)
• Northern Ireland Guarantee Pay for any day increases from £35 to £38
  (Great Britain increased from £35 to £38)

It is of note that the limits in Northern Ireland have diverged to those applying in Great Britain. This is due to a different method of rounding up and has resulted in Northern Ireland figures being slightly higher than those applicable in Great Britain.