Employment Law Seminars - All Events

But, Boss, It’s Cold Outside

The winter of 2010/11 saw many employees stranded and unable to get to work. As employers, what are your rights and obligations? What is the best way to handle ‘emergency’ requests? What practical measures can you take NOW to minimise disruption this and subsequent winters? Ger Connolly, Associate, MOP, sets out legal obligations, discusses practical options and provides template documents and precedent wording.

“You’re No Spring Chicken Yourself!”

Dismissal and retirement of older workers needs to be handled in a particularly sensitive manner. But you have the benefits of being able to plan retirements and how to pass on skills to ‘younger’ employees. Case law analysis, practical advice and template documents provided by Terence O’Sullivan, Partner, Terence J. O’Sullivan solicitors

Absence Management: Best Practice & Cutting the Costs

The EAT is littered with the bodies of employers who failed to justify the dismissal of employees with dreadful absence records. Failure to follow – and easily show that you followed – sound procedures will result in a successful unfair dismissal claim and €1000s in compensation. And that’s on top of the costs of any contractual sickness payments and lost production. Antoinette Vahey, Solicitor, RDJ solicitors, knows the best ways to deal with these issues. Follow our expert’s practical advice and you could save a fortune in time and money.

In Sickness and in Permanent Ill-Health

Income Protection (IP) sometimes called Permanent Health Insurance (PHI) Schemes have their uses – but also their costs. Are there any circumstances in which termination of employment might be lawful if a sick employee is covered by PHI? Are there more useful (and less costly) alternatives? Case law analysis and practical advice provided by Killian O’Reilly, Partner, O’Rourke Reid Solicitors.

Managing Employee Benefit Costs

Costs are a key issue for all companies. Shane O’Farrell, Irish Life’s Senior Risk and Longevity Product Manager, will discuss what factors influence the cost of providing Group Life and Income Protection benefits, with particular emphasis on the positive steps HR managers can take to reduce these costs and improve long term disability experience (to the benefit of the employee as well as the organisation’s bottom line). Identical organisations on paper can have very different long term disability rates due to definite steps taken by HR and local management. Shane will share his experience of these from pricing hundreds of schemes of varying profiles every year. The senior HR person is a critical part of the solution.

Lone and Remote Workers - Out of Sight but Not Out of Mind

Many employees work off site and alone for reasons of costs, efficiencies or work/life balance e.g. sales reps, health workers, security staff and more. They may be vulnerable and at risk. What are the employer’s responsibilities? How can risk be minimised and benefits maximised? And what are the costs of getting it wrong? Case law analysis, precedent wording and practical options set out by Duncan Inverarity, Partner, ByrneWallace

Fitness for Work – Is Age Relevant?

We all have to go sometime but what are the physiological signs of aging and reductions in capability for work? How can OH help employers (and employees) face up to the inevitable need to end employment at the appropriate time? When is age relevant in recruitment, retention and retirement in the opinion of an occupational health specialist? Speaker: Dr Philip McCrea, Managing Director, OH Consultants

Time Off: A Review & Update of the Organisation of Working Time Act

We review the key components of the Organisation of Working Time Act in relation to time away from work and will provide an update of recent case law on holidays, rest breaks, on-call and more. Davnet O’Driscoll, Associate, Hayes Solicitors