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About us and our services

We are the MIRS – the Manx Industrial Relations Service:

  • Acting as a neutral third party helps parties in dispute communicate more effectively and explore whether they can achieve a mutually agreeable resolution

  • We are government funded but are independent from Government and the Industrial Relations Officer and the Deputy Industrial Relations Officers are appointed by the Governor in Council

  • We help workers, employees, trade unions, employers, and advocates with workplace issues

What We Do

  • Employment rights advice: We provide impartial and practical advice on a wide range of employment related matters. (Although please note we cannot give legal advice)

  • Conciliation: We help parties in dispute explore to see if a mutually agreed resolution can be achieved to resolving disputes through the use of conciliation as a non-adversarial approach. We offer conciliation both on matters whereby a formal complaint has been made to the Employment and Equality Tribunal and on those where no formal complaint has been made

  • Trade Disputes: We offer collective conciliation on disputes that arise under the Trade Disputes Act 1985/Trade Unions Act 1991


Meet the Team

We have a very experienced team which consists of:

  • Industrial Relations Officer: Kimberley Emery

  • Deputy Industrial Relations Officer: Nicola Batey

  • Deputy Industrial Relations Officer: Natalie Christian

  • Deputy Industrial Relations Officer: Patricia Stearn

  • Industrial Relations Executive Officer: Emily O’Connor


Conciliation

Conciliation is a voluntary process where a MIRS conciliator acting as a neutral third party helps parties in dispute communicate more effectively and explore whether they can achieve a mutually agreeable resolution.

Key features of conciliation:

  • It is voluntary – so both sides must agree to take part and can stop at any time

  • It is completely free

  • Conversations are confidential unless permission is given to share information with the other party

  • It is impartial – conciliators do not take sides

  • If both parties agree a resolution, one of the MIRS team can prepare a settlement agreement to document the terms


How Conciliation Usually Works 

  • We engage with each party separately to understand their position

  • We help share key information (with permission) so both sides understand each other’s point of view

  • The above process continues back and forth (either in person or more usually via phone calls/emails) to see if an agreement can be reached between the parties. If parties do reach an agreement, we can prepare a settlement agreement


The Employment and Equality Tribunal

If an employee believes their employment rights have been breached: 

  1. The employee can contact us first – we may be able to help through exploring conciliation with both parties in dispute

  2. If a  formal  complaint is made via the Employment and Equality Tribunal’s online complaint form (see The Tribunal section of our website), the Clerk to the Employment and Equality Tribunal will process it and send us a copy and do the same with any Response that is filed

  3. If you make a formal complaint, the Tribunal Clerk will process it and send us a copy

     

  4. We will then reach out to both sides to see if parties wish to engage in conciliation. If this is unsuccessful (or a party does not wish to engage in conciliation) then we refer the matter back to the Tribunal to list it for a hearing

     


Settlement agreements

  • These are confidential agreements that document the terms on which parties have agreed to settle their dispute

  • In order to be legally binding, a MIRS conciliator will need to  explain the terms and effect of a settlement agreement to the employee


Appointments

We can facilitate appointments to discuss matters with parties in various ways either in person, by telephone or via Microsoft teams. 


Representatives

If an employee has a trade union representative or advocate appointed, we will normally speak with them directly unless otherwise directed.


Complaints Procedure

Should you have any reason to be dissatisfied with the service from the Manx Industrial Relations Service please feel free to discuss the issue with us and we will make every effort to put right any shortcomings. In the first instance, all issues about the service should be directed for the attention of the Industrial Relations Officer, Kimberley Emery.  

To raise a formal complaint you may write to: 

The Governor in Council,
c/o Chief Executive Officer,
Chief Executive Officer's Office,
Bucks Road,
Douglas,
IM1 3PG 

Questions or Contact

We are always happy to answer any questions or discuss any concerns.

  1. Telephone: +44 1624 672942

  2. Email: iro@mirs.org.im 

  3. Contact us on Facebook 

  4. Follow us on LinkedIn