Top 5 reads for busy people: 

1. Government plans to toughen the remote working code🏠
2. Three quarters of companies now use AI, some more obviously than others. 🤖
3. Unions warn: do not delay pay transparency, nobody enjoys a secret salary. ⚖️
4. Women are still far more likely to be CFO or HR Director than CEO. 📊
5. Teams are not resisting change, they are just tired of it. 🔄

And in other news....Our commute to work is now officially packed, sweaty and record breaking, because who needs personal space anyway? 🥵

1. Case Law Reviews
2. AI and Employment Law
3. Neurodiversity at Work
4. Remote working code to be strengthened
5. Pay Transparency
6. Data Protection
7. WRC lifts statutory cap
8. International Women’s Day – 8 March
9. Employment Status
10. Work Commute
11. Just In Case You Missed It....
12. HR Developments
13. Employment News in the Media
14. Health and Safety Developments
15. Friends of Legal Island
16. Free Webinars This Month

Ali Rajob v Kaf Pizza Limited ADJ-00057703

Summary: WRC rejected claims of excessive hours and denied rest breaks but upheld the complaint for unpaid annual leave and public holiday pay, awarding €1,100 in compensation.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

Employers should:

• Ensure strict compliance with the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, particularly in relation to annual leave, public holiday entitlements, and hours worked. Even where an employee requests additional hours, the employer retains the legal obligation to ensure compliance with the 1997 Act.
  
  
• Issue written contracts of employment at the commencement of employment and maintain accurate rosters and time records.
  
  
• Respond promptly to employee queries regarding pay and statutory entitlements. Ignoring requests for holiday or public holiday pay can significantly undermine credibility before the WRC.

Read the full Review here.

Kannan Nagayindran v Sage Restaurant ADJ-00057213

Summary: WRC found that an employee was dismissed by reason of redundancy following the closure of the business and awarded statutory redundancy based on his proven earnings and service.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

Employers should:

• Ensure that redundancy situations are managed in strict compliance with the Redundancy Payments Acts. Where a business closes or ceases trading, employees with the requisite service automatically acquire a statutory entitlement to redundancy, regardless of the employer’s financial position.
  
  
• Retain accurate contracts, payslips, and records of hours worked, and employers must be in a position to substantiate any assertions regarding notice, alternative employment, or contractual terms.
  
  
• Always attend WRC hearings or be properly represented.

Read the full Review here.

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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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Three quarters of companies actively using AI – survey

New research from AI Ireland shows that 74% of Irish businesses are now actively using artificial intelligence and have moved beyond the experimental phase with the technology. The study is based on a survey of 130 senior business leaders. A quarter of respondents said they are still piloting AI initiatives, while just 2% said they have yet to start their AI journey. RTÉ has more.

On the other hand......

One-fifth of Irish SMEs not using AI as yet – Google

New research from Google shows that 20% of Irish SMEs are not using AI for any business task as yet. One-third of micro-businesses (under ten employees) are not using AI at all, compared to just 7% of larger SMEs (50–250 employees), according to the report. You can read more from RTÉ.

AI for HR Weekly Podcast with Barry Phillips 🎙️

This week's episode: Are we being lied to about AI adoption rates?

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

Listen on 🎧 Spotify or Apple Podcasts

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

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📅Thursday 26th March 2026
⏰12:30 - 14:00 ( 1 hour 30 mins )
📍Online

Part of the Skill Builder for HR series, this 90-minute practical session is designed for HR professionals managing diverse ways of working across their organisations. Dr Susan Hill of Medmark Occupational Healthcare will share practical guidance on helping HR move from reactive case management to proactive, culture-shaping impact. You’ll gain clear, actionable insights to better support employees, partner effectively with occupational health, and strengthen team dynamics. More here.

Legal Island Employment Law Hub Members receive two FREE Skill builder places*

*As part of their subscription - worth €315. T&Cs apply.

Find out more about all the upcoming Skill Builder for HR sessions HERE. 

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A code of practice for the right to request remote working is to be strengthened as part of a review by the Government. The Department of Enterprise is to recommend that the Workplace Relations Commission revises the code to ensure employers give comprehensive and transparent reasons for their remote working decisions. The proposed changes would also see the code providing clearer templates and guidance for employees applying for remote work. Read the full story from RTÉ. 

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Government must not cave to employer lobbying on pay transparency delay, warn unions

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is renewing its call on the Government to stand firm against employer lobbying to delay the June deadline for new EU pay transparency rules becoming law. Adopted in 2023, the Pay Transparency Directive is intended to reduce the gender pay gap. Fifty years after equal pay became a legal right, women working in the Irish labour market today are earning around 90 cents for every euro men earn for each hour worked on average. More from ICTU.

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Data Protection Commission Publishes Final Decision Following Inquiry into University of Limerick

The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has published its final decision following an inquiry into a personal data breach in University of Limerick. The DPC reprimanded University of Limerick and imposed administrative fines totalling €98,000. You can read the full decision here.

And…

Ireland launches first Digital Trust Mark for firms

National domain registry says new scheme will help businesses demonstrate online credibility amid growth in fraud and ransomware activity. Ireland’s national domain registry .IE has introduced a new Digital Trust Mark as fresh research indicates that nearly one in five of the country’s largest organisations has suffered a significant cyberattack over the past two years. The initiative aims to give consumers a clearer signal of whether a business is operating to recognised digital standards. Think Business has more.

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WRC lifts Statutory Cap of €13,000 in Employment Access Case and awards €40,000 instead

In a recent decision of the WRC in the case of Noel O’Connell v National Council for Special Education (ADJ-00042837), the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was found to have indirectly discriminated against a deaf applicant for the role of “Advisor Deaf/Hard of Hearing (ISL)”. The case is significant not only for its discrimination finding, but also because the Adjudication Officer disapplied the statutory €13,000 compensation cap applicable in access-to-employment discrimination claims, awarding €40,000 in compensation instead. More from Anne O’Connell Solicitors.

Mason, Hayes & Curran law firm have also written a piece on this. Read it here. 

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Women make up nearly half of today’s workforce, but systems are still catching up

Women make up nearly half of today’s workforce, yet many still find themselves facing structures that were not built with their health needs in mind. While hybrid schedules, flexible hours, and remote options have transformed the way we work, there is still progress to be made in fully supporting women through key life stages like menstrual health, pregnancy, maternity, childcare, and menopause. Superdrug Online Doctor surveyed 2,000 women aged 16-55+ to uncover how the workplace health gap is impacting their careers.

Women still four times more likely to be CFO or HR Director than CEO - Grant Thornton

A new report reveals that Ireland continues to make strong progress on gender diversity in senior leadership, but major challenges remain, particularly for women aspiring to the role of chief executives. Grant Thornton's Women in Business 2026 report shows that representation of women in senior management roles in Ireland has risen to 41.4%, up almost 5% since 2025 and ahead of the global average at 32.9%. The report noted that medium sized companies in Ireland have also shown the most significant long-term improvement of any of the countries included in the research since the study began in 2004, when women accounted for just 15.6% of senior leaders here. Silicon Republic reports. 

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Public Accounts Committee to discuss the classification of workers for PRSI purposes

The Karshan Judgement is a landmark Supreme Court ruling that established a clear five step test to determine whether workers are employees or self-employed contractors.  Officials from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will attend in a representative capacity to address the role of the Workplace Relations Commission in ensuring consistency in employment status.  Key issues to be examined by the Committee include ensuring the correct classification of PRSI contributions for all workers, the impact on social insurance benefits, the potential loss of contributions to the Social Insurance Fund and exchequer and ensuring a fair and transparent system for contributions for all workers. Read the government’s press release here.

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'Packed, sweaty and unsafe': Our readers on their experiences of commuting by train in Ireland

According to figures from the National Transport Authority, Irish Rail services, including DART, Dublin Commuter, and Intercity routes, carried 55 million passengers last year – a record.  Overcrowding, overheating, fainting and being forced to stand for over an hour are just some of the issues they are now encountering on their daily commutes, according to this article from the Journal.

Cycling in Dublin for commuting rises 50% as most residents back more bike lanes

The number of Dubliners using bicycles on an almost daily basis has increased by 50 per cent in just two years, according to new research from the National Transport Authority (NTA). The vast majority of residents across the State’s five main cities want increased investment in cycling infrastructure, even when that results in less road space for cars, the NTA’s 2025 Walking and Cycling Index has found. The Irish Times has more on this story.

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The Employment Law Hub is a comprehensive, jurisdiction-specific resource designed for HR professionals, legal advisors, and business leaders. It centralises essential employment law and HR updates, expertly curated and written by leading HR and legal specialists to provide reliable, practical, and authoritative insights. We have over 700+ in depth articles and 1000+ case law reviews. As a subscriber, you have access to all of this. Check it out the full Hub here and below are some recent articles you may have missed.....

AG Advises: Key Legislative Changes for HR Consultants and Employers in 2026

Three major employment developments are on the horizon for 2026. Employers should be preparing now for the introduction of the EU Pay Transparency Directive, the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025, and the EU Platform Workers Directive. Each of these reforms brings significant new obligations, requiring employers to review and adapt their existing policies, procedures, and systems. Kate Field, Legal Director and Alison Devine, Senior Associate, Addleshaw Goddard outlines these changes here. 

Your Team Isn't Change Resistant - They're Exhausted

Remember when learning something new created a satisfying sort of certainty? You'd master a skill and know it would serve you well into the future. The investment of your time and energy paid off. That's changed in the age of AI. Ironically, just when we need most change readiness in our teams, we’re actually creating change fatigue instead.  For professionals rolling out new systems, compliance requirements, and workplace policies, you've likely noticed something: people who used to engage consistently, or even enthusiastically, now seem disengaged. Where we once saw change readiness, we now see change fatigue, and it has a neurological basis. Deirdre Morrison, Co-Founder, Dynacorum Change Technologies explores this topic more here. 

Duncan's Case Law Reviews

Duncan Inverarity, Former Partner & Head of Employment at A&L Goodbody LLP reviews the most important case law relevant for Irish employers from the past year. Keep an eye out on our Hub every week for a new update. This week he is discussing the case:

Conor Durnin v Horse’s Mouth Limited T/A Sportcaller [2024]

In this case, the High Court granted interlocutory injunction restraining suspension, finding strong case dismissal was unlawful due to reliance on non-contractual policies, inconsistent disciplinary procedures and absence of prior warnings. Read the full case review here. 

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Remote Working

Ministers Burke and Dillon publish statutory review showing remote work request legislation is delivering. Hear direct from the Ministers here.

But………..

'Toothless tiger' remote working code to be strengthened

A code of practice for the right to request remote working is to be strengthened as part of a review by the Government. The Department of Enterprise is to recommend that the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) revises the code to ensure employers give comprehensive and transparent reasons for their remote working decisions. Read RTE’s view here.

Is meeting overload degrading leadership judgement?

Hybrid work made meetings easy to add and hard to recover from. When leaders spend whole days in high demand calls, judgement becomes brittle and conflict escalates faster. This feature from HR Director outlines a meeting load standard HR can run, with meeting tags, daily caps, camera norms, decision design, and protected recovery windows.

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The Irish Times reports the Labour Court has rejected a claim by 11 maintenance workers at Irish Distillers that an error by the employer with regard to its pension contributions for them should be maintained or compensation paid for the right calculation being applied. The company told the court, after an effort to resolve the dispute through conciliation at the Workplace Relations Commission had failed, that it had overpaid the employer pensions contributions by €171,615 over a period of time.

Dozens of newly qualified paramedics have been left in limbo after being informed they will not automatically receive permanent contracts with the National Ambulance Service (NAS). Around 76 trainees were told last month that they would instead be placed on fixed-term contracts and required to compete for permanent roles through a new internal recruitment campaign. The move – which could see successful applicants deployed up to three hours away from their home regions – is a “total reversal” of previous NAS practice, according to SIPTU. More from the Journal.

RTÉ reports an accountant who was sacked after raising concerns about the level of expenses at the Garda health insurance society - having shut down a bar tab at its Christmas party - has won €85,000 for unfair dismissal. Michael Dodd, the former general manager of the St Paul's Garda Medical Aid Society, won the sum in a claim under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 after he was dismissed by its board without notice or any reason being given in September 2023.

The Teachers' Union of Ireland has accused the Department of Education and Youth of a continuing failure to address what it has said is a teacher recruitment and retention crisis at post-primary level. The union said 75 schools have told it they advertised jobs within the past six months for which they received no applicants. They were among 101 schools that responded to an online questionnaire sent to schools by the union's principals and deputy principals association. RTÉ has full story.

A garda detective who was suspended for more than three years for giving a man a loan of a bicycle during the Covid-19 pandemic is to receive over €250,000 in damages. The detective, who was stationed in the midlands, took a personal injury claim against the Garda Commissioner, the Minister for Justice and the Attorney General. The case before the High Court was settled almost two weeks ago with a confidentiality agreement. More here from RTÉ.

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Irish Health and Safety Authority publishes Annual Review of Workplace Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities 2023 - 2024 

In December 2025, the HSA Annual Review of Workplace Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities 2023-2024 was published.

Beale & Co have set out a summary of the findings of the Review here, with a particular focus on the construction industry. In the foreword from the Chief Executive Officer of the HSA, he points out that Ireland’s workforce grew to 2,776,400 in 2024, an increase of 2.6% on the previous year. There was a marginal increase in non-fatal workplace incident reports to the HSA in 2024 from 2023. 36 workplace fatalities occurred in 2024, which is a decline from the previous year, when there were 43 fatal accidents.

PepsiCo Case Study: Driving a Change in Culture by Viewing ‘Safety Differently’

First established in Ireland 51 years ago, PepsiCo currently employs more than 1,250 people in Ireland, increasing its workforce by more than 20% in the last few years. Through its ‘Courage to Care’ programme, PepsiCo aims to strengthen psychological safety and empower frontline teams to speak up about risks without fear of retribution. More from the HSA.

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Director of Adjudication Services, WRC retires 

A friend of Legal Island, David Small, Director of Adjudication Services and Principal Officer at the Workplace Relations Commission, has announced his retirement.

We wish David every success in his next chapter and extend our sincere thanks for his significant contribution to Legal Island throughout his time at the WRC.

Read David's LinkedIn post here. 

Kevin Foley appointed Chairperson of Workplace Relations Commission

Kevin Foley, a former Chairman of the Labour Court, has been announced as the new Chairman of the Workplace Relations Commission. Mr Foley's term will run for five years, from March 2026 to March 2031. Congratulations from Legal Island. RTÉ has more on this story.

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Employer Insights from Real Bullying and Harassment Cases

📅Tuesday 10th of March
⏰10 to 10:45 a.m.
📍Online

Research by Matrix Recruitment shows 88% of workers say bullying and harassment remains a serious problem in Irish workplaces. Handling allegations of bullying and harassment is one of the most testing parts of the HR role, particularly when emotions are high and everyone is watching what you do next. Mishandling complaints can escalate issues, harm morale, and even trigger a tribunal.

Join Dr Gerry McMahon, MD of Productive Personnel Ltd, whose experience as an independent HR consultant and WRC adjudicator gives him an insider perspective. He’ll share real case law examples on bullying, harassment, discrimination, and disciplinary disputes, showing what employers did well and what went wrong.

This free webinar will be hosted by Julie from Legal Island, who will moderate a live Q&A so you can ask questions and get practical guidance. You will leave with a clearer sense of what the WRC expects, and reassurance you do not have to be perfect, but what you and your organisation need to do to demonstrate you have been fair, consistent and thoughtful.

Register here.

Check out previous discussions:
Legal Island's Webinar & Podcasts

Enjoy the weekend!

Legal Island

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