As Covid -19 ongoing restrictions mean that normal work place attendance may not resume in the near future for a lot of organisations, it is clear that the standard face to face meeting format for a range of typical workplace situations, such as grievance and disciplinary hearings will not be available for some time. It is also notable that the Supreme Court held it's first sitting ever via remote video technology last week, and the Workplace Relations Commission has published a consultation paper on conducing hearings remotely and by written submissions. So how can these meetings be managed and what are the pitfalls?

As temporary lay off and reduced working hours has become the new normal working arrangement for many employers due to Covid 19, this short article deals with some of the practical issues regarding accrual of leave and selection of employees for lay-off or reduced working hours.

A lot of concern has been expressed about potential redundancy claims arising due to extended lay off or short time working during the COVID-19 Emergency Period. This comes on top of all the other pressing issues that employers need to deal with. The good news is that this issue has been dealt with under the COVID-19 Emergency legislation.

Some useful lessons from this recent case in which a Solicitor was awarded €13,300 after her grievances were not dealt with properly by her new employer and she successfully claimed constructive dismissal.

The recent High Court decision by Mr Justice Allen in Ryanair DAC v Peter Bellew provides some useful guidance for employers with regard to the use of restrictive covenants in employment contracts.

As the WRC and Courts have continued to highlight deficiencies in workplace investigation practices, and employers have to deal with the implications and costs of inadequate investigations, this short article summaries some key points to consider when setting up a workplace investigation.

As we approach the Xmas shut down period when a significant number of employees will be on a break from their workplace, the issue of employees digital rights is very much on the agenda at the moment, with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation committed to exploring putting the right to disconnect on a potential statutory footing, as we all potentially can remain always "switched on" with our smart phones never too far away.

Parents Leave is a new statutory entitlement for parents, available since 1st November 2019, to facilitate parents being able to spend more time with a child during the first year after birth or adoption. Here's a quick summary.

With the Xmas Workplace Party season well and truly getting underway this weekend, attention once again turns to the potential costs and serious implications of when things go wrong, often when too much alcohol has been consumed. Some companies are now avoiding the Xmas Party altogether with others introducing Sober Chaperones !. But is this necessary and what practically should employers be doing to ensure that everyone can have a good time and that they don't end up paying for more than a few nibbles !

The Complainant was awarded €4k compensation for penalisation in respect of how his protected disclosure was handled, and his employer ordered to implement it's own Protected Disclosures Policy and resolve outstanding questions of fact as raised within the disclosure (Ref ADJ - 00017774).