Companies in Northern Ireland are still not following employment law properly, according to a solicitor who has written a new textbook on business law.

Lisa Tracey, an employment lawyer at Belfast firm Napier & Sons, has written Introduction to Business Law in Northern Ireland, published by Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Miss Tracey, who is also a qualified accountant, said she was well-prepared for the task after marking law and accountancy papers. The book is tailor-made for students sitting exams in Northern Ireland, covering all the basics of land law, tort and employment law.

“The book is the bare bones of the syllabus, written for students taking law exams in and relating to Northern Ireland,” she said.

She said many businesses were still struggling to apply employment law correctly, particularly in the current difficult financial climate. The Queen’s graduate, who finished her law and accountancy degree in 1999, said she hoped the lessons contained in the textbook will help future lawyers guide their clients more carefully.

“We often get queries from and about businesses, where they have failed to adhere to things like the very simple procedure for dismissing someone.

“Employers still, in this day and age, think they can dismiss someone on the spot.

“Additionally, in this current climate when there are a lot of redundancies, there are procedures to go through, consultation periods to adhere to, and some companies are simply not doing |so and often don’t even realise they have to follow the proper procedures.”

Ms Tracey has worked in human resources, accounting and law in both the public and private sectors. The book is currently available through universities and online at Amazon.