The Fair Employment (Monitoring) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
Overview
The Fair Employment (Monitoring) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (the Regulations) were laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly on 2 December 2024 and came into force on 1 April 2025. The Regulations amend the Fair Employment (Monitoring) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 (the 2004 Regulations), which require employers in Northern Ireland with at least 250 employees to monitor the religious affiliation of their workforce.
Key Changes
The key changes introduced by the Regulations are as follows:
- The threshold for the requirement to monitor religious affiliation is reduced from 250 employees to 100 employees. This means that more employers will be required to monitor the religious affiliation of their workforce.
- Employers are now required to monitor the religious affiliation of all employees, including agency workers and contractors.
- Employers are required to provide employees with a privacy notice explaining how their religious affiliation will be used.
- Employers are required to keep records of their monitoring data for a period of three years.
Purpose
The purpose of the Regulations is to improve the monitoring of religious affiliation in the workplace in Northern Ireland. The Regulations will help to identify areas where there is discrimination against employees on the basis of their religion or belief. This information will be used to inform policy and practice to promote fair employment and equality of opportunity for all.
Enforcement
The Regulations are enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. The Commission has the power to investigate complaints of discrimination and to take enforcement action against employers who are found to be in breach of the Regulations.
Impact
The Regulations are expected to have a significant impact on employers in Northern Ireland. Employers will need to review their existing monitoring practices and put in place new measures to ensure that they are compliant with the Regulations. The Regulations will also help to raise awareness of the importance of fair employment and equality of opportunity for all.
Conclusion
The Fair Employment (Monitoring) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 are an important step forward in the fight against discrimination in the workplace in Northern Ireland. The Regulations will help to improve the monitoring of religious affiliation and to identify areas where there is discrimination. This information will be used to inform policy and practice to promote fair employment and equality of opportunity for all.
The Fair Employment (Monitoring) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
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