5 key stories to know this week 📌

1. Worker usage of AI tools remains low
2. Seasonal work 101: Know your rights this Christmas
3. Gender pay gap narrows at RTÉ to 8.85% this year from 10.09%
4. Minister Calleary announces launch of the MyFutureFund Employer Portal
5. The death of the CV? Employers urged to think differently about hiring

And in other news....have you seen our NEW Skill Builder for HR series? Hub members will receive 2 free Skill Builder places as part of their subscription.  Find out what's on offer HERE.

1. Case Law Reviews
2. AI and Employment Law
3. Gender Pay Gap
4. Seasonal work 101: Know your rights this Christmas
5. Employer registration opens for pension auto-enrolment
6. Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025
7. Employment Permits
8. Updated Employment Agencies List
9. Just In Case You Missed It....
10. HR Developments
11. Employment News in the Media
12. Health and Safety Developments
13. Friends of Legal Island

An Employee v ASBA Meats ADJ-00055030

Summary: A part-time employee was unfairly dismissed by text after an inspection and successfully proved sexual harassment and unequal treatment, resulting in compensation and orders for policy reforms.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

Employers should:

• Ensure that any termination of employment is grounded on clear, lawful reasons and preceded by a fair process. Inspections by Revenue, Gardaí or immigration authorities do not justify sidelining workers or “quietly” ending their employment by text. Before dismissing any employee, an employer should identify the alleged reason, invite the employee to a meeting, allow representation, consider their response, and communicate a reasoned outcome and appeal. Failure to do so places the employer at serious risk of an unfair dismissal finding.
  
• Maintain robust, written policies on dignity at work, harassment and sexual harassment, and actively enforce them. Owners and Directors are treated in law as the Respondent itself; their conduct will almost always be attributed to the employer. Training should make clear that using control over hours, pay or work permits to seek personal or sexual favours is unlawful, even if framed as a “private” arrangement. Employees should have safe reporting routes beyond their direct line manager.
  
• Monitor pay and conditions to ensure that part-time staff are not paid late, denied contracts or treated as disposable. 
  

Read the full Review here: An Employee v ASBA Meats [2025]

A Job Applicant v A Garden Centre ADJ-00052022

Summary: An applicant was unlawfully subjected to an unpaid and unstructured trial day during recruitment, leading to a finding of disability discrimination and an award of €5000.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

Employers should:

• Ensure that recruitment and selection processes are structured, transparent, and consistently applied to all candidates. Any form of trial, assessment, or practical exercise must be clearly explained in advance, limited in scope, and applied equally. Unpaid work during recruitment is inherently risky and should be avoided.
  
• Note, when an applicant presents through a disability agency or where a disability is disclosed or reasonably inferred, employers should make appropriate inquiries in a sensitive manner. Providing reasonable accommodation does not require medical detail but does require engagement, planning, and flexibility. 
  
• Invest in training and written policies on equality and disability inclusion. Reliance on informal practices or assumptions exposes organisations to significant legal and reputational risk. Compliance with equality legislation is not optional and does not depend on intent. 
  

Read the full Review here: A Job Applicant v A Garden Centre [2025]

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These case reviews were written by Patrick Barrett BL.

Patrick's legal education is robust, beginning with a BCL Law Degree from University College Cork (2012-2016), followed by an LL.M in Business Law from the same institution (2016-2017), and culminating in a Barrister-at-Law Degree from The Honorable Society of King’s Inns in Dublin (2019-2021). He has extensive experience on the South-West Circuit, handling Civil, Family, and Criminal Law cases, as well as advising the Citizen Advice Service.  He has worked as an employment consultant, dealing with workplace investigations and bankruptcy procedures.

Remember: Our Irish case law reviews are now held in our case law section on our fully-searchable employment law hub website.

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Worker usage of AI tools remains low – survey

RTÉ reports the vast majority of Irish workers are not using artificial intelligence tools on a daily basis, according to a survey by PwC. Its latest Workforce Hopes and Dreams report found that just 10% of workers here are using generative AI every day. This is below the global figure of 14%. More here.

AI adoption varies sharply by industry and age, research finds

AI is now a top priority for organisations, but adoption varies widely. Finance and manufacturing are leading the way with forecasting and automation, while education and creative sectors remain cautious. Age also plays a role, with younger professionals more ready to embrace AI in daily operations. HR Director has more.

AI for HR Weekly Podcast with Barry Phillips 🎙️

This week's episode: Data Security and ChatGPT – Open AI’s Little Known Huge Improvement

You can tune into the latest episode right here - or, if you’re on the move, why not take us with you?

Listen on all major platforms: 🎧 Spotify🎧 Amazon Music 🎧 Apple Podcasts

Simply search for “AI for HR Weekly Podcast” and enjoy expert insights anytime, anywhere.

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Gender pay gap narrows at RTÉ to 8.85% this year from 10.09%

The gender pay gap, the difference between what men and women earn, has narrowed at RTÉ. The mean gender pay gap as of June this year was 8.85%, down from 10.09% last year. The median gender pay gap at RTÉ is 11.18%, down from 12.74% in 2024. The mean pay gap is the difference between the average hourly rate of pay for women, compared to the average hourly rate of pay for men. More from RTÉ.

Publication of Gender Pay Gap Report 2025 for Houses of the Oireachtas Service

The Houses of the Oireachtas Service has published its Gender Pay Gap Report for 2025 in line with legislative requirements. The Service has chosen 30 June as its annual snapshot date. The mean gender pay gap for the Service for the period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 is 0.23%, and the median figure for the same period is -3.1%.  Read it here.

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As Christmas draws closer and shops, restaurants and delivery services gear up for their busiest weeks, seasonal job adverts start popping up everywhere. Taking on extra staff or picking up a short-term role can be a great opportunity, but it's easy to miss some important details in the festive rush. From knowing what should be in a seasonal contract to understanding holiday pay, working hours and notice rules, both workers and employers have a few key rights and responsibilities to keep in mind. Emma Quinn, Senior Associate at law firm Lewis Silkin Dublin, provides her advice for RTÉ here.

10 Top Tips for Employers This Festive Season

December is always a busy time for employment lawyers and the organisations they advise. With preparations in full swing for the festive season, Mason Hayes & Curran's Employment Law & Benefits team reviews the typical workplace issues encountered by employers and suggests 10 top tips for dealing with them successfully. Read it here.

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Minister Calleary announces launch of the MyFutureFund Employer Portal

•    MyFutureFund employer portal opened 1 December
•    Employers advised to complete profile by 31 December
•    Registration takes around 5 minutes

Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary has launched the MyFutureFund Employer Portal. The portal is designed to support and facilitate employers’ engagement with MyFutureFund, the new automatic retirement savings scheme, with a minimum of administration involved. From 1 December, the portal provides employers with the platform to complete their profile and choose a payment method in advance of the start of MyFutureFund in January 2026. Resources to help employers meet their obligation to inform employees of their enrolment will also be provided directly through the secure mailbox on the portal. This is another example of reducing the administrative burden on employers. More here.

Read RTÉ's report on the MyFutureFund portal here.

What do employers need to know about pension auto-enrolment as registration opens?

With the employer portal for MyFutureFund open, all employers are being asked to do is to register their company details and set up a payment method through the website myfuture.ie. Businesses are being asked to log into MyFutureFund’s employer portal with their Revenue Online Services (ROS) certificate, agree to the terms and conditions as well as set up a company profile. The system will then ask to set-up a payment method for making contribution payments with a direct debit the preferred option. Once you’ve completed registration as an employer, you’ll receive a confirmation letter either in your secure mailbox on the employer portal or by post. This letter will include your scheme reference number. More from the Irish Examiner.

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Bill entitled an Act to amend the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Act 1984 to provide for the protection of employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer; to make provision for the deeming of employers to be insolvent in certain circumstances; to make further provision on the treatment of employees whose employer enters into an insolvency arrangement; to make further provision for the manner of calculation of certain payments made out of the Social Insurance Fund to certain employees in respect of insolvent employers; to amend the Employment Equality Act 1998; and to provide for related matters. The Bill is currently before Dáil Éireann, Third Stage. More from the Oireachtas here.

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Employment Permits Minimum Annual Remuneration: Outcome of the Roadmap Review 2025

A new roadmap has been published which outlines a gradual approach to increasing minimum salary thresholds across all employment permit types, while removing very low thresholds on a phased basis for certain roles in the agri-food and healthcare sectors.

From 1 March 2026:

• minimum salary for General Employment Permits will rise from €34,000 to €36,605
• minimum salary for Critical Skills Employment Permits will increase from €38,000 to €40,904
• for meat processors, horticultural workers, healthcare assistants, and home carers, the minimum salary will increase from €30,000 to €32,691

You can read the full review here. 

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You can find the updated Licenced Agencies list as at 01/12/2025 here. 

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Q&A: Mandatory retirement age – Where does the law stand currently and what’s next?

In this month's Q&A, Matthew McGrogan, Associate in A&L Goodbody's Employment Group, considers how the law on mandatory retirement ages is currently being interpreted by the WRC following a landmark 2024 Supreme Court decision, and takes a look at what the upcoming “Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 means for employers. Read here.

Why workplace mediation is a valuable tool in early conflict resolution

Mediation is a process designed to resolve conflict through open dialogue. Rather than determining who is right or wrong, a neutral mediator facilitates communication between parties, helping them express their views, understand each other’s concerns, and work towards mutually agreed solutions. More from Caroline Reidy, Head of HR Solutions, NFP.

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Employee engagement is becoming harder to achieve

New workplace dynamics, including hybrid working and virtual meetings, have come into play over the last few years and are making it increasingly difficult to engage employees. Health and wellbeing support can be a virtuous circle – if employees engage in health and wellbeing, they feel more engaged with the company. The key is finding more creative and dynamic ways to encourage the use of benefits. HR Director has more.

Boreout’ on the rise as employees feel demotivated and disengaged

Occasionally feeling bored at work is normal but over a sustained period it can develop into ‘boreout’ – a long-term state of demotivation and dissatisfaction caused by work that feels meaningless or unstimulating. A third (34 per cent) of HR professionals are considering leaving the sector, often citing fatigue and disengagement, Personio data has shown. This article from People Management looks at how employers can reduce the risk.

Skill Builder for HR: Employee Engagement in Modern Workplaces

Struggling with disengaged teams, fractured communication, and the relentless hum of digital overload? This short, high-impact deep dive equips HR professionals with strategies to reignite employee engagement. Join us at Legal Island to transform frustration into focus and retention into a competitive advantage. Employee Engagement in Modern Workplaces is part of the Skill Builder for HR: 6 x 6 series, monthly, 90-minute practical HR and employment law sessions designed exclusively for senior HR professionals and business leaders in Ireland. Read more about the event here.

92% of employees have experienced financial worry in the past year

Financial pressure is eroding the UK and Irish workforce, with 92% of employees reporting financial stress in the past year, according to new findings. The research from Zellis underlines the growing need for employers to treat financial wellbeing as a core part of their duty of care. More from HR Director.

The death of the CV? Employers urged to think differently about hiring

The Hiring Trends Report 2026 published by global recruitment technology firm Willo shows that whilst CVs remain the starting point for most hiring processes, their dominance is weakening fast. The study found just 37% of employers rate credentials and learning history – as typically outlined in CVs – among the most reliable indicators of talent. Four-in-ten (41%) respondents reported moving away from CV-first hiring, while 10% of respondents said they have largely replaced CVs with skills-based and scenario-driven assessments. More from in-Cumbria.

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Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and Alan Dillon, Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail, today announced the publication of a new Roadmap for Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR) Salary Thresholds. The first increase will take effect 1 March 2026. More direct from the department here.

There are fears of job cuts at outsourcing firm Covalen, which provides services to social media giant Meta. The company said it has commenced consultation with some of its staff in relation to potential redundancies within its Dublin operations. "Covalen is engaging with the teams potentially impacted and is providing career planning advice and options for redeployment," a spokesperson said. RTÉ has the full story.

Starbucks has agreed pay more than $35m (£26m) to thousands of workers in New York City, to settle the city's claims that the company denied them stable schedules and arbitrarily slashed their hours. Over 15,000 hourly workers are set to receive $50 for each week they worked during from July 2021 through July 2024, city officials said. BBC has the full story.

An Aer Lingus pilot stripped of command duties after his aircraft failed to pick up a navigation beacon on approach to Dublin Airport in 2023 wrote that he delayed reporting the incident because he feared “retribution” from senior personnel, a tribunal has been told. The Irish Times has more on this story.

The Irish Times reports an office worker hit by “long Covid” whose bosses ignored their own medical adviser and refused to let her come back to work part-time has been awarded €30,000 in compensation after winning a second equality claim against her employer. More here. 

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Information Sheet on Work-related Violence and Aggression in Retail

The purpose of this guidance document is to help retail employers manage the risks associated with work-related violence and aggression, and to implement suitable control measures, examples of which are provided below. Download it here.

The HAS also provide a sample risk assessment. This risk assessment is a template only and used to illustrate common control measures for violence and aggression. Control measures must always be based on risk assessment carried out at the place of work. See here.

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Eversheds Makes First Hires To New Integrated Irish Office

Eversheds Sutherland has hired employment partner Mary Gavin from Ogier who has spoke at a number of events for Legal Island.

The appointments follow the recent integration of Eversheds Sutherland’s Ireland and Northern Ireland practices into its international business.

Congratulations to Mary from all at Legal Island! 🎉

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