AQW 5189/17-22

Mr Andrew Muir
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 24/06/2020
Answered On Date: 08/07/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy whether she will bring forward legislation to support the Right to Disconnect, to ensure that employees are not obliged to be contacted and work at given times, out of hours.

Answer:

There are currently Regulations in place safeguarding working time limits in Northern Ireland.

The Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 make a positive contribution to the Northern Ireland employment relations framework, laying down minimum conditions relating to weekly working time, rest entitlements and annual leave, and making special provision for working hours and health assessment in relation to night workers.

Under the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016, a worker is entitled to an uninterrupted rest period of 11 hours between each working day and one uninterrupted weekly rest period of not less than 24 hours in each seven-day period.

The weekly rest period can be taken as either two periods of at least 24 hours in each 14-day period or one uninterrupted period of no less than 48 hours in each 14-day period.

I have no plans at present to amend current working time legislation for Northern Ireland. In the immediate term, Departmental resources will be focused on Northern Ireland’s economic recovery as it emerges from lockdown.

However, I am always open to working with Executive Colleagues, the Assembly and stakeholders regarding wider plans for ensuring our employment legislation framework meets the needs of our regional economy.