News
Government Approves The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill to Protect Employee Tips and Give Customers Transparency
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, has approved ‘The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill’ that will give new rights to employees - forbidding the use of tips and gratuities to make up contractual rates of pay. Employers will have new requirements to clearly display their policy on how card and cash tips, gratuities, and service charges are distributed. All electronic tips must now be distributed fairly and in a transparent way. Mr Varadkar said: “This new law will, for the first time, give workers legal protections over tips. It will mean that any tips received [...]
Tánaiste Introduces Legal Framework For Remote Working Requests
The Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar, has published details of a new law giving workers the right to request remote working from their employers. Announcing the legislation, Mr Varadkar said: "So long as the business gets done and services are provided, employers should facilitate it." HR Team Director, Martina McAuley, said: “The Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2021 will provide a legal framework for Irish employees to submit a request for remote working and have their request approved or refused by employers. "An employee will be eligible to submit a request once they have worked for their employer for six months. [...]
Entering the final ‘frontier’ for EU workers post-Brexit – What to know
European Union (EU) citizens employed or self-employed in the UK but are resident elsewhere are classed as frontier workers, those working in the UK on or before December 31 2020 can also still enter the UK for work. Martina McAuley, HR Team company director, outlines the details of frontier worker status. Martina said: “Since January 1 2021, most EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who are working in the UK but living elsewhere will need to hold a frontier worker permit to enter the UK as a frontier worker - in addition to a valid passport or national identity card. “Frontier [...]
Forthcoming Gender Pay Gap Legislation
The ‘Gender Pay Gap Information Bill’ will require organisations to report on the gender pay differentials in their organisations, setting out pay differences between female and male employees, including bonuses – the bill has been stalled since 2019. HR Team director, Martina McAuley, said: “Employers will have to explain the reasons for the gap and outline the measures they have in place to address it. It is expected that the reporting will commence in 2022 and I would recommend that employers begin to prepare now”. Research carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) revealed that only 33% [...]
Budget 2022 Key Points For Employers
Changes to the pandemic wage subsidy scheme are among some of the key takeaways for employers in the Government’s €4.7 billion spending plan for 2022. HR Team reviews how the Budget 2022 will affect employers in the coming year. Key Budget points employers need to be mindful of: Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) support will be extended until the end of April 2022. However, a structure of two rates (€151.50 and €203) will apply from December until the end of February, being reduced to €100 for March and April. The scheme will close to new [...]
Brexit HR Advice – Setting Up An Irish Company
Are You Considering Moving Your business To Ireland Post-Brexit? The United Kingdom is no longer a part of European Union Customs and single market due to the UK’s exit from the European Union on January 1, 2021. The Department Of International Trade advised that the UK can mitigate border issues and VAT problems to register new companies within the EU. The British government recently announced that UK corporation tax will increase from 19% to 23% from 2023 onwards. This is double the 12.5% corporation tax rate in Ireland. It may be extremely difficult for UK companies to maintain profitability and [...]
Employment Law Advice And Consultancy – What Is The Best Option For You?
Employment law regulates the relationship between employers and employees. It governs what employers can expect from employees, what employers can ask employees to do, and employees rights at work. Employment law is a minefield with continuous changes in government guidance. It can be challenging to keep on top of the ever-changing legislation. Particularly given the uncertainty of Brexit and Covid-19, employers must act with great caution to remain legally compliant. There are multiple options available; an employer could hire an in-house HR consultant or team, acquire an employment law advisor or solicitor, or pay for outsourced HR and employment law [...]
WRC inspections hike a warning to employers over compliance
The Workplace Relation Commission’s revelation that it carried out more than 5,000 unannounced inspections last year should serve as a warning to employers on compliance, a leading employment law adviser has said. In 2020, the WRC Inspectorate carried out a total of 7,687 inspections, of which 5,202 were unannounced. Martina McAuley, Director at HR Team, said the significant increase in completed inspections (4,804 overall in 2019, with 2,896 unannounced) “sends a strong message to employers to ensure they are compliant”. According to the WRC’s annual report, it detected 1,760 employers who were in breach of employment law, and recovered unpaid [...]
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 [...]
Willy-nilly rejection of remote working requests will see flood of tribunal cases
Leading HR advisor says employers are anticipating a flood of employment law cases resulting from 'willy-nilly' rejection of remote working requests by employers. Martina McAuley, Director at HR Team, said employers who are not adequately prepared to deal with remote working requests - even post Covid-19 – run the risk of serious financial penalties. Unfair Dismissal Following The Refusal Of A Remote Working Request Ms McAuley made the comments after the Workplace Relations Commission ordered an employer to compensate a worker for unfair dismissal following the refusal of a request for remote working. Ms McAuley said: “Case law now exists [...]