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Letter to an employer about unpaid wages or holiday pay before an industrial tribunal claim (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English · for employees
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For a worker in Northern Ireland whose employer, or former employer, has not paid wages, final pay, overtime or holiday pay that is due: a letter setting out what is owed and how it is worked out, the total, the unlawful-deductions rule in Article 45 of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, and 14 days to pay, naming the next steps — early conciliation with the Labour Relations Agency, which is free, then an industrial tribunal claim within three months. Sent first class and by email.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You left a job in Northern Ireland and your last wages never arrived.
- Your employer did not pay you for the holiday you had not taken when you left.
- Money keeps being taken off your pay that you never agreed to.
- You want to demand the money owed in writing before going to the LRA and a tribunal.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Employee
- Employee's address
- Town or city
- Employee's postcode
- Date
- Employer
- Employer's postal address (street and number, postcode and town on separate lines)
- Job title
- What is owed and how it is worked out (wages, overtime, holiday pay; dates or pay periods; hours and rates)
- Amount claimed
Common questions
- What is the time limit for an unpaid wages or holiday pay claim in Northern Ireland?
- An industrial tribunal complaint must start within three months of the deduction or, for a series of deductions, of the last one in the series (Article 55 of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996). Early conciliation with the Labour Relations Agency must begin within that time, and the time limit pauses while it lasts. Northern Ireland has no two-year cap on how far back a claim for a series can reach. A contract claim in the county court has six years.
- How does early conciliation with the Labour Relations Agency work before an industrial tribunal claim?
- Before most claims to an industrial tribunal, or to the Fair Employment Tribunal, which hears complaints of discrimination on grounds of religious belief or political opinion, you must notify the Labour Relations Agency, free, online or by phone. A conciliator then contacts you and the employer to try to settle the matter. If it does not settle, the Agency issues an early conciliation certificate whose number you need for the claim form. Notifying in time pauses the three-month limit while conciliation lasts, and the limit then ends no earlier than one month after you receive the certificate. This letter comes first and often settles the matter on its own.
- Can unpaid minimum wage or holiday pay in Northern Ireland be reported instead of claimed?
- For the minimum wage, yes, free: HM Revenue and Customs investigates underpayment of the National Minimum Wage across the UK and can order the employer to pay the arrears with a penalty. Great Britain's Fair Work Agency does not cover Northern Ireland, so unpaid holiday pay here remains your own claim. Reporting to HMRC does not stop the three-month time limit for a tribunal complaint.
How you can sign this document
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