News
Employers Urged To Prepare For Parent’s Leave Increase
Parent’s leave is to increase from two to five weeks and will apply to both parents and adoptive parents under new legislation which comes into effect in April 2021. HR Team Director, Martina McAuley, said: “Parents in Ireland will be able to take the five weeks of leave at any time within the first two years after a child’s birth or adoption instead of in the one-year period that was previously provided for in the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019. “The new legislation means it is now time for employers in Ireland to establish new policies and procedures, or [...]
Remote working law will boost staff retention and motivation says HR expert
A leading HR specialist says laws giving employees the right to request permanent remote working will improve staff retention and motivation. HR Team Director, Breda Cullen made the comments after Tánaiste Leo Varadkar published Ireland’s first National Remote Work Strategy which aims to make remote working a permanent option after the Covid-19 pandemic. A new legally admissible code of practice on the right to disconnect from work will also be introduced - covering phone calls, emails and switch-off time. For expert HR advice on the latest employment law updates, contact our team. However, Ms Cullen said it is important that [...]
Can an employee take pet bereavement leave?
Is an employee entitled to bereavement leave when a pet passes away? The short answer is 'no!' However, HR Team recommends that employers have a policy in place in relation to employees seeking bereavement leave when their beloved pet dies. This should especially be the case in relation to companies that already allow workers to bring their pets to the workplace. In the UK, for example, around 8% of employees are allowed to take their dogs to work. Airbnb's offices in Dublin is one of a few examples of 'animal-friendly' employers in Ireland. Across the three jurisdictions in which [...]
Social Media in the Workplace: Ruling underlines need for robust policy
Employers who allow social media use to go unchecked in the workplace by having no clear and robust policy in place are simply asking for trouble. A ruling upholding the dismissal of a long serving employee over inappropriate social media use underlines the essential need for clear workplace policy in this area. In the recent case of Plant v API Microelectronics Ltd, an employment tribunal rejected the employee's appeal that her dismissal had been unfair. Mrs Plant had been employed by the firm for 17 years and there had been no previous disciplinary issues during her lengthy employment. In 2015 [...]
Brexit and its employment law implications
The conscious uncoupling has begun. Article 50 has been triggered, Britain is waving a formal farewell to the EU. So as the two year withdrawal process begins it’s a pertinent time to ask, what does Brexit mean for employment law in the UK? Here’s what we know thus far . . . During the bargaining period the UK remains a full EU member. That means: That in the here and now there are no changes to UK employment laws derived from EU law, such as TUPE or agency worker protections UK employers must comply with new EU laws introduced within [...]
Businesses should be ready for minimum wage change
Employers are being reminded to be ready for next month’s minimum wage changes. HR Team Managing Director Breda Cullen said companies should be finalising the required changes ahead of the April 1 amendments to the legal requirements. From next month, the minimum wage (also known as the national living wage) for employees over 25 years-old will rise to to £7.50 and to £7.05 for those aged between 21 and 24. Workers aged 18-20 will also see an increase to £5.60 an hour. “Unlike in previous years when changes came into effect in October, these changes will be introduced on [...]
Top tips for TUPE
When a business changes ownership there is a multitude of complexities that the new business owner must deal with. Quite often employment legislation is left to last and this can be a risky strategy as employees are protected under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings, Protection of Employment) legislation. We have witnessed a huge increase in organisations requesting guidance with TUPE year on year. This is partly due to the recognition by smaller organisations that TUPE legislation is not only the preserve of multinational companies. TUPE can apply regardless of the size of the business. Organisations would be best advised to seek professional [...]
EU internet ruling ‘no green light’ for employers
Employers should proceed with caution when monitoring staff internet messages despite a recent landmark EU ruling in favour of an employer who read the private correspondence of an employee. The recent decision by the European Court of Human Rights - which upheld a Romanian court ruling against an engineer who challenged his employer after being dismissed for sending personal messages on Yahoo chat - has caused quite a stir. It also seems to have got employers and staff thinking about what their rights actually are and how far they stretch. The former employee at the centre of the case took [...]
Irish employers must conceive new paternity policies
From this September employers in Ireland can expect applications from new fathers for two weeks’ paternity leave following the introduction of new legislation. That means it’s now time for employers to conceive new paternity policies and procedures or at least overhaul their existing ones to ensure employment law compliance. The Government this week formally agreed to legislate to allow for fathers to take a fortnight in paid paternal leave. The law change – which was initially announced in the budget - is expected to be in place by the end of September. It would prudent for employers to be prepared [...]
Minimum wage increase reminder from HR Team
Employers in the Republic of Ireland should adjust pay rates to include the statutory minimum wage increase on January 1, says HR Team Managing Partner Breda Cullen. The statutory minimum wage per hour has increased from €8.65 to €9.15. Ms Cullen said employers must implement the relevant changes in their payroll departments. "It's important that employers are aware of the increase in the minimum wage. We would urge all employers to take the appropriate steps in adjusting the salaries and wages of employees to ensure that they remain compliant with employment legislation and avoid risk.” The national minimum wage (NMW) [...]