News
Employee Appreciation Day – The benefits of appreciating your employees
The first Friday in March is officially ‘Employee Appreciation Day’. This has been devised as an opportunity for business owners to show their appreciation for their employees. Unemployment in Ireland is at its lowest level since 2007 with turnover increasing to 11% in 2019. As the Labour Market is currently the tightest it has been in many years, Irish employers are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain talent. HR Team Director, Martina McAuley, says: “Expressing employee appreciation can increase engagement, improve job satisfaction, workplace happiness, and employee morale - all of which are desirable for any business. “In [...]
Irish employers should plan now to minimise Coronavirus risk
A leading employment law advice specialist is urging employers to take steps to minimise staffing issues related to the increased coronavirus threat in Ireland. Employers are already feeling the impact on international business travel and staff absence, following Northern Ireland’s first diagnosis of a case of Covid-19 in a person who entered the island from Italy via Dublin airport. HR Team Director, Breda Cullen, says her employment law advice firm has experienced a surge in the number of employers seeking advice on the matter. She said: “The coronavirus outbreak has sparked a wave of concern around what rights employees have regarding sick [...]
The HR Advisor February 2020
Download The HR Advisor February 2020
Employment Law Breakfast Briefing for Business Owners & Directors
What the briefing will cover: • How to protect your organisation against costly tribunal claims? • The Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. • The importance of a Contract of Employment and Employee Handbook. • Unfair dismissal. • What to expect from a WRC (Workplace Relations Commission) audit? Date: Thursday, March 12, 2020 Time: 8:45am – 11:00am Admission Fee: Complimentary This event is exclusively for business owners and directors
Should you ban workplace relationships?
To mark Valentine’s Day, we take a look at the taboo topic of workplace relationships and how employers navigate the legalities of imposing restrictions on them. A recent survey revealed an incredible 58% of employees have engaged in a romantic relationship with a colleague. This should be a wake-up call for employers to manage workplace attraction and ensure an acceptable policy is in place. “A policy on workplace relationships which is clearly communicated to staff could save an employer a lot of stress and financial risk in the long run” says HR Team Director, Breda Cullen. Almost half (41%) of [...]
Employers should act to avoid Christmas party sexual harassment claims
Employers should act now to minimise the risk of sexual harassment issues at this year’s Christmas work party, says HR Team Director, Breda Cullen. Ms Cullen is advising employers to ensure employees are made fully aware of the policies and procedures regarding behaviour at the annual Christmas work celebrations. Her followed the Irish Congress of Trade Union's publication of a survey which found 20% of reports of sexual harassment arose from work-related social events. The survey further found Christmas work parties were the most common ‘off-site location’ sexual harassment at work. Ms Cullen told Irish media: “The findings of the [...]
Dublin Employment Law Breakfast Briefing For Employers
Are employee issues hampering the growth of your business or organisation? HR Team invites you to an exclusive complimentary learning event for employers on Friday, December 13, 2019. Our expert HR consultants are delighted to deliver this 'Employment Law' breakfast briefing which will delve into the employee-related issues you face and provide solutions on how to move forward effectively while remaining compliant. What we will cover at the briefing: How to protect your organisation against costly tribunal claims The Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act The main elements of a Contract of Employment The importance of an Employee Handbook Unfair Dismissal What [...]
Ryanair holiday ‘mess’ a warning to others
Poor holiday management that directly impinges on an organisation's operations could spell disaster for any business, says Breda Scott of Derry-based human resources and employment law specialists HR Team. "If the right system for managing leave is not in place, the knock on effect can often impact directly on customers or clients and that can be a disaster for any organisation, regardless of size or scale," she said. Her comments come after airline Ryanair cancelled more than 80 flights on Sunday after admitting it had "messed up" the planning of its pilots' holidays. Ryanair said a change to its holiday [...]
Managing bereavement leave in the workplace
When tech giant Facebook announced a doubling of its bereavement leave allowance for staff, it brought into focus what can often be a grey area for employers. Facebook's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, who lost her husband in 2015, said the company's change in policy was driven by a need for "public policies that make it easier for people to care for their children and aging parents and for families to mourn and heal after loss." Sadly, most people will experience the loss of a loved one at some stage in their career, meaning that as an employee they will [...]
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 [...]