📩Your Top 5 Reads – sharp, smart, scroll-worthy: 

1. ⚖️Case Law Review: Employer cut wages after a business transfer in breach of TUPE.
2. 📊 Comparative Law Table! Lewis Silkin & Legal Island publish the updated employment law cheat sheet.
3. 👶 Maternity leave push: Unions want a full year off. Will the government bite?
4. 💰 Pension pep talk: New campaign’s here to wake us all up to auto-enrolment.
5. 🤖 AI and Irish jobs: Minister sounds the alarm but is still working out the numbers.

And in other news... big congrats to RDJ LLP for taking home the national DEI Award at the 2025 Diversity In Business Awards! More here. 🏆🎉

**If you have any difficulties accessing the article or resetting your password (if you haven’t already done so in 2025) please email hub@legal-island.com and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible.**

1. Case Law Reviews
2. AI and Employment Law
3. Employee Leave
4. Recruitment and Retention
5. Pension Auto-enrolment
6. Gender Parity
7. Just In Case You Missed It....
8. HR Developments
9. Employment News in the Media
10. Health and Safety Developments
11. Friends of Legal Island
12. Free Webinars This Month 

Sophie Hendrick Rust v Sugar Drop Limited ADJ-00053452

Summary: Employer unlawfully reduced employee’s pay following a business transfer, breaching TUPE protections.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

• When taking over a business or premises where employees remain in situ, employers must carefully assess if a Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) applies. TUPE protects existing terms and conditions, including pay, whether express or implied. Failure to honour pre-transfer terms can expose employers to claims.
   
  
• Before implementing any changes, such as altering pay or imposing probationary clauses, employers should conduct a formal due diligence process on inherited contracts and pay records. This avoids inadvertently breaching transfer regulations and helps ensure lawful employment transitions.
   
  
• Lastly, clear communication with transferring employees is vital. Employers should provide written clarification on their continued terms, seek legal advice where necessary, and document any contractual variations agreed post-transfer. Unilateral changes, particularly to core terms like pay, are high-risk.

Read the full Review here:
Sophie Hendrick Rust v Sugar Drop Limited [2025]

A Deli Assistant v A Petrol Station IR - SC - 00003504

Summary: Dismissal during probation was found to be procedurally unfair due to lack of clear reasons, absence of documented performance concerns, and failure to follow fair procedures.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

Employers should:

• Ensure that all dismissals, even during probation, comply with the basic principles of fair procedure. This includes providing clear reasons for termination and ensuring that employees understand the purpose and content of any meeting that may lead to dismissal.
   
  
• Conduct regular probationary reviews, documenting any concerns raised about performance or conduct. If issues arise, employees should be given clear, written feedback and an opportunity to address and improve on the concerns raised.
   
  
• Note, even if a probation clause exists, sudden and unexplained terminations without proper process can result in reputational damage and awards against the employer, as seen in this case.
  

Read the full Review here:
A Deli Assistant v A Petrol Station [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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Almost 50 Irish schools to trial groundbreaking AI tech in the classroom

Business Plus reports almost 50 schools across Ireland have signed up to a new programme by US edtech company Merlyn Mind to pilot a ground-breaking AI assistant tool for teachers. The AI assistant tool been designed to support educators by streamlining the administrative and repetitive aspects of teaching. More here.

Minister says Irish jobs will be lost to AI but she can't say how many (yet)

Ireland’s first minister for AI, Niamh Smyth, has warned that AI will lead to job losses-but stressed the country must still embrace the technology. The government plans to set up a regulator for EU AI rules and launch an “AI Observatory” to track job risks and guide mitigation, while supporting businesses and public services in using AI effectively, The Journal reports.

AI at work: Employers not moving swiftly enough to manage use

More employers need to clarify how and to what extent they are happy for their staff to use artificial intelligence, a lawyer has warned. GenAI – such as ChatGPT – is increasingly being used to improve efficiency and manage workloads by taking on tasks in businesses and organisations across almost every sector. But, Kate Wyatt, a Partner in employment law at independent Scottish legal firm Lindsays, says the pace at which artificial intelligence is being deployed in workplaces is not being matched by the way its use is controlled. She said: “From our experience, highly regulated areas of work are actively controlling how employees use AI. HR Director has more.

Event: Streamlining HR Tasks with ChatGPT

Discover how to use ChatGPT and other leading AI tools to streamline HR admin, write policies and job descriptions, summarise legal texts, and boost productivity. Learn prompt engineering techniques, explore risks and limitations, and compare top AI platforms like Gemini, Claude and Copilot. Ideal for beginners to intermediate users, this session delivers real-world HR use cases and expert insights. Stay ahead in your role—efficient, ethical, and AI-ready. Check our Legal Island's event on 29th July. More details here.

Understanding that AI is here to complete HR not compete with it.

In this episode, Barry Phillips discusses how AI can enhance HR by handling routine tasks, freeing professionals to focus on what matters most. Far from replacing people, AI supports smarter, more strategic HR.

You can also access the episode here.

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Unions back calls for full year’s maternity leave

A demand for a year’s maternity leave on full pay for workers is set to intensify after being backed by most trade unions. It is now official Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) policy, after a motion calling for 52 weeks of maternity pay north and south of the border was adopted by delegates at its biennial conference this week. The motion said current maternity pay arrangements fall short of international best practice. You can read more about this from the Irish Independent.

Here comes the sun: the essential employment guide to annual leave in Ireland

Holiday season is upon us. It's a time for relaxation and for employers and employees in Ireland to be clear on their statutory rights and obligations when it comes to annual leave entitlements.

In this article, Ogier's Employment team provides comprehensive guidance on annual leave in Ireland, outlining the fundamental principles employers and employees need to understand to ensure compliance and best practice during the busy summer months. Access the article here. 

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New data shows Ireland among top EU countries for tech employment

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, has released data indicating how countries in the EU are faring in regards to employment in the technology sector. The information shows that more than 10m people work as information and communication technology specialists (ICT) in the EU, representing 5pc of all employed people.  With the figures pertaining to 2024, the most recent data is indicative of a “continuing upward trend”, with the share rising by 0.2 percentage points from the previous year and by 1.6 percentage points since 2014. Silicon Republic has more.

Cost concerns driving shift in employee benefits, survey says

Intensifying cost concerns are driving Irish employers to focusing on maximising value in employee benefits, according to the benefits trends survey carried out by consultants WTW. The survey found that 39 per cent of employers in Ireland are “reallocating spend” in response to rising costs to get more value from spending on benefits such as pensions, health insurance and financial wellbeing programmes. This drive has led to the number of employers focusing on getting more value from vendors and service providers to rise to 56 per cent, and nearly two-thirds, 61 per cent, of Irish employers regard the increasing cost of benefits as a key business issue. You can read more on this from the Irish Times. 

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New awareness campaign for pension auto-enrolment scheme

A national campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the new pension auto-enrolment scheme which is now called "My Future Fund". The multimedia advertising campaign will inform people about how the new system will work, who can participate, and what it will mean for them. RTÉ has more on this.

Auto-Enrolment into My Future Fund to begin on 1 January 2026

The State’s automatic retirement savings system called “My Future Fund” will now begin on 1 January 2026 instead of the planned commencement date of 30 September 2025.

This aligns the start date with the tax year and provides an additional three months for payroll providers and employers to prepare. As there is no “one size fits all” approach to compliance, preparations for implementation should remain high on the priority list in the months ahead.

In A&L Goodbody's briefing they outline the key features of auto-enrolment and the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act 2024 (the AE Act). Read more here.

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UN calls for 50% gender parity in nominations for election to the Oireachtas and for Cabinet nominations

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has urged Ireland to take stronger action to protect women's rights-highlighting low female representation in politics as a key issue. It recommends amending laws to enforce 50% gender parity in party candidate selection and extending this to the Seanad, Cabinet, and local government. In its statement, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission welcomed the report, which also calls for efforts to increase women’s political participation and address online gender-based violence. More here.

New gender balance targets for Irish listed companies

On 28 May 2025, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality (the Minister) published the European Union (Gender Balance on Boards of Certain Companies) Regulations 2025 (the Regulations). The Regulations transpose the EU’s Gender Balance on Boards Directive (EU) 2022/2381 (the Directive) into national law. The Directive aims to secure more balanced gender representation on the boards of listed companies in the EU by introducing gender quotas.

In-scope companies have until 30 June 2026 to satisfy these quotas. If they fail to do so, they will be required to adjust their selection and recruitment policies for board positions. Companies will also have to report annually on their performance from 30 November 2026. Read A&L Goodbody's full briefing here.

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Comparative Law Table 

🚦From Belfast to Dublin to London: What’s Different in Employment Law? 

📢 Find out in our newly updated Comparative Employment Law Table from Lewis Silkin (Paul Gillen, Siobhra Rush, Orla Bingham) and Legal Island, current as of June 2025.

Whether you’re HR, in-house counsel or just trying to keep on top of legal changes, this table gives you a quick, clear view of the key similarities and differences in employment law across Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

🔭 We’ve also added a ‘look forward’ section so you can see what’s coming down the track, plus 🔗 links to legislation, commentary and other useful resources to help you dig deeper when needed.

Check it out on Legal Island's Employment Law Hub.

Neurodiversity & discrimination risks – how neurodiversity is being addressed by the WRC

Sinead Morgan, Legal Director leading DAC Beachcroft Dublin's employment team discusses neurodiversity and how Irish equality legislation applies to neurodiverse individuals in the workplace. Neurodiversity includes conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others. Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015, many of these conditions are considered disabilities, triggering obligations on employers to prevent discrimination and provide reasonable accommodations.
Read her full piece here.

Employment rights vs employment status: the times….are they a changin’?

Sophisticated businesses engaging with independent contractors are highly alert to the new landscape in which they operating with contractors. The impact of the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Revenue Commissioners -v- Karshan (Midlands) Limited t/a Domino’s Pizza (“Karshan”) is starting to unfold. Aoife Gallagher-Watson, Director, Employment Law, EY Law Ireland explores this topic more here.

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From Silence to Strategy – tackling upward bullying in a hybrid age

Upward bullying - when subordinates target their managers - remains a blind spot in most organisations. Drawing on research, tribunal experience, and HR leadership, this article from HR Director exposes how hybrid work, grievance misuse, and identity dynamics create risk for unprotected leaders. It’s time for HR to move from silence to strategy- and build systems that safeguard everyone, not just subordinates. Read here.

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Gregg Wallace has been sacked as MasterChef presenter as a result of an inquiry into alleged misconduct, BBC News understands. It comes as 50 more people have approached the BBC with fresh claims about the TV presenter - including allegations he groped one MasterChef worker and pulled his trousers down in front of another. Wallace denies the claims. The inquiry into allegations against him, conducted by an independent law firm on behalf of MasterChef's production company Banijay, is expected to report back imminently. More from BBC.
 
David Henderson has been awarded the maximum compensation of two years’ salary after the Workplace Relations Commission ruled his dismissal by Bohemians amounted to a ‘sham redundancy’. The former club goalkeeper was sacked as chief scout last November by director of football Pat Fenlon on the orders of the board despite the club president Matt Devaney being unable to produce any meeting minutes at the hearing in May. Adjudication officer Christina Ryan rejected the club’s redundancy grounds of budgetary cutbacks, concluding the treatment of Henderson was “shocking”. More here from the Irish Examiner.

A group of staff at Dublin restaurant Shanahan’s on the Green were left short nearly €35,000 when it shut abruptly last year, a tribunal has found. The WRC has heard multiple statutory complaints from former employees of its operator, JMS International Holdings, since the closure of the prominent restaurant and has made awards to six workers to date. In each case, the workers – who include chefs, front-of-house staff and the company’s long-standing book-keeper – have told the employment tribunal the company failed to pay them any wages for their last week at work. The Irish Times has more on this story.

A group of senior lecturers at Munster Technological University, who are members of the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI), are due to begin industrial action in a dispute over new duties and titles. The action will be taken by TUI members who are Senior Lecturer 3 (SL3) Heads of School/Faculty, and will take the form of a suite of directives. This will involve members refusing to undertake new or additional roles, refusing to adopt any new titles and refusing to respond to any communication which is addressed using new titles, reports RTÉ.

A medical clinic receptionist claims she was forced to quit because her employer failed to address a “toxic” work atmosphere after she said a colleague repeatedly called her a “lazy b***h” to her face. The worker, Gwen Doyle, has complained that the apology she got from her colleague after a workplace investigation was “not genuine” and that the other worker was simply “told what to say”. The Irish Times has more on this.

The ex-principal of the fee-paying Leinster Senior College has lost a challenge to his sacking after he shredded work diaries when his employer put him under investigation for running a "rival" grinds business. Karl Hegarty had pursued a complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 against the operator of the school, LSC Education Corporation Limited, challenging his sacking for gross misconduct on 20 January 2023. Mr Hegarty was found by a WRC adjudicator to have "entirely undermined [his] credibility" by destroying the diaries after stating they contained a note of a conversation with his employer in which he got "verbal permission" for the venture. Full story here. 

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Driving for Work: Risk Management Guidance for Employers

This guidance document was developed collaboratively by An Garda Síochána, the Health and Safety Authority, and the Road Safety Authority to support employers in understanding and managing the key risks associated with employees who drive as part of their job. The guidance outlines how to identify areas for improvement through risk management gap analysis, maintain appropriate records, and integrate safe driving practices into workplace culture. You can find it here.

Solar Power BK Limited, fined and given suspended jail sentence, following death of employee in workplace incident

Solar Power BK Limited was today, Tuesday 8th of July 2025 fined a total of €100,000 by Judge Dara Hayes at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court, following a fatal work-related incident which occurred at Bellingham Farms at Milestown, Castlebellingham, Co. Louth on 14th of August 2023. The company’s director, Mr. Brian Kelly, was also fined a total of €10,000 and handed two 8-month suspended sentences running concurrently. The accident resulted in an employee falling through a skylight on the roof of an agricultural building, landing on the concrete floor below. HSA has more.

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Law firm, RDJ LLP have won the overall national Diversity, Equality & Inclusion award at the 2025 Diversity In Business Awards 

“To be recognised as the national leader for DEI is a proud moment for us and reflects the incredible work of many people across the firm who are committed to making RDJ a more inclusive and supportive place to work,” commented Jamie Olden, Managing Partner at RDJ on winning the overall national Diversity, Equality & Inclusion award at the 2025 Diversity In Business Awards. More about the awards here.

RDJ also won best company in the Professional Services category at the event.

Learn more about RDJ's D&I initiatives here.

Congratulations from all at Legal Island!

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MCS Lunch and Learn: What Top Recruiters Know that You Don’t (Yet)       

🔔 Please note that the webinar has been rescheduled to 23rd July.

🗓  Thursday, 23 July 2025
🕚 12:00 – 12:45 (45 mins)
💻 Online

Register HERE.
                                                            
Join Julie from Legal Island for an MCS Lunch and Learn webinar with leading recruitment experts Ryan Calvert and Rebekah Mulligan. In the first quarter of 2025, the business and recruitment landscape has already been reshaped by macroeconomic, socio-economic, and political forces. Policy changes, inflationary pressures, and shifts in the labour market are compelling organisations across the UK and Northern Ireland to reassess their HR strategies. As workforce dynamics continue to evolve and skills demands grow, it’s essential for HR professionals to adapt their approaches to remain competitive and effectively meet new challenges.

In this 45-minute webinar, Ryan and Rebekah will share the latest trends in recruitment, exploring how organisations are addressing skills shortages, meeting the demand for flexible work, and adapting to the changing expectations of today’s candidates. From the rise of AI-assisted applications to the impact of global DEI rollbacks on local employer brands, they’ll outline the trends that will define talent acquisition in 2025 and beyond.

In this session, we’ll cover:

• Evolving Hiring Trends – Gain insight into where job demand is expected to increase in the next year.
  
• Practical Strategies for Addressing Skills Shortages and Talent Demands – Learn how organisations are responding to economic pressures and shifting labour markets.
  
• Building an Authentic and Competitive Employer Brand – Discover how cultural fit and retention efforts can strengthen your recruitment strategy.

Learn how to build trust and strengthen your employer brand in an era where candidates are more informed than ever. Our experts will also discuss how HR teams can stay authentic and competitive in a rapidly shifting environment - ensuring your organisation’s values shine through at every touchpoint, from job adverts to interviews and beyond. Expect practical tips, straight-talking insights, and just enough humour to make your talent challenges feel (almost) manageable.

Got questions? Bring them along! Ryan and Rebekah will be answering audience questions, giving you the chance to get expert advice on the issues that matter most to you.

Check out previous discussions:
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