5 Stories Worth Your Time 🗞️: 

1. Every click at work might now be quietly training your replacement… no pressure 😅
2. Ireland’s pay transparency journey? Moving forward… just not exactly at speed 🐢
3. 2 in 5 Irish workers are eyeing the exit door right now 👀
4. “Shadow workloads” are creeping in and employees are definitely feeling it 🧑‍💻
5. Q&A: What the new minimum pay rules for employment permits actually mean for you 💼

And in other news......if your team’s engagement is wobbling more than your Monday motivation, join Skill Builder for HR: Employee Engagement in Modern Workplaces on 21 May with Hub subscribers getting a FREE place because even HR deserves a win 😄

1. Case Law Reviews
2. AI and Employment Law
3. Employee Engagement in Modern Workplaces
4. Pay Transparency
5. Pensions
6. Recruitment
7. Industrial Relations
8. Just In Case You Missed It....
9. HR Developments
10. Employment News in the Media
11. Health and Safety Developments
12. Free Webinars This Month 

Tony Wickham v IMAC Facilities Management Ireland Limited ADJ-00055923

Summary: Dismissal for falsifying work records was substantively justified but procedurally unfair due to flaws in the disciplinary process, resulting in €1,330 compensation.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

Employers should:

• Ensure that investigations and disciplinary hearings are conducted separately. An investigator who forms conclusions about an employee’s credibility or culpability should not ordinarily make the final disciplinary decision. Maintaining clear procedural separation helps preserve impartiality and reduces the risk of findings of procedural unfairness before the WRC or courts.
  
  
• Ensure that employees are expressly informed of the seriousness of allegations and the potential consequences, including dismissal where applicable. Employees should receive copies of the relevant disciplinary procedures before any hearing.
  
  
• Follow fair procedures, consider mitigating factors, and ensure consistency in decision-making. 
  

 Read the full Review here.

A Worker v An Employer IR - SC - 00003912

Summary: Complaint upheld where employer failed to adequately address bullying concerns raised during employment, with €3,000 compensation recommended.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

Employers should:

• Ensure that managers understand their obligation to escalate workplace complaints, even where an employee raises concerns informally. If an employee reports bullying, harassment, intimidation or safety concerns, managers should not treat the matter as a mere personality clash without first assessing whether formal intervention is required. Informal resolution can be appropriate, but only where the employee is not discouraged from using formal procedures.
  
  
• Ensure that grievance and dignity-at-work procedures are clearly accessible, explained during induction and reinforced through manager training. It is not enough for policies to be available in a handbook or office if employees do not understand how to use them. Managers should never tell employees that raising a complaint will harm promotion prospects, as this may undermine trust and expose the organisation to liability.
  
  
• Post-resignation, employers should still investigate where possible, particularly where they reveal potential systemic issues. However, post-employment investigations cannot fully cure failures by local management during employment. 
  
  

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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Chinese court orders tech company to pay compensation to sacked employee replaced by AI

A Chinese court has ordered a tech company to pay more than £28,000 in compensation to a former employee who was illegally fired after being replaced with an AI system. The quality assurance professional, identified only as Zhou, was demoted and forced to take a 40 per cent pay cut after his work at the company in the eastern city of Hangzhou was replaced by AI. When Zhou refused to accept the demotion, he was fired. More from The Independent.

AI's emerging role in Irish Litigation

The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) across the legal profession has inevitably made its way into Irish courtrooms. From research and document summary to the drafting of submissions, AI tools are now an increasing feature in litigation practice. The Irish courts’ response to the use of these tools has been measured but firm: AI may be used as a tool, but responsibility, transparency and verification remain human obligations. Fieldfisher has more on this. 

Why every click you make at work could now be training your replacement

AI technology is moving faster than regulation and the power imbalance favours the employer, yet the coordinated use of rights can help workers push back. Read the full analysis by Ronan Carbery, UCC here. 

AI for HR Weekly Podcast with Barry Phillips 🎙️

Hub subscribers are beginning to request that our Chairman, Barry covers a particular AI topic in a future podcast. If you have a request, send it to him directly at barry@legal-island.com - he’ll feel like a DJ from the 80s…...🎧

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 or Apple Podcasts

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

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Ireland has shown only modest progess in pay transparency rules

Most major EU economies are set to miss next month’s deadline for implementing new pay transparency rules, with Ireland showing only modest progress in recent years, according to new data from Indeed. The findings come just weeks before the June 2026 deadline for the EU Pay Transparency Directive, which aims to give jobseekers clearer information about salaries before accepting roles. In Ireland, 39% of job postings now include salary information, placing the country behind the UK (56%), the Netherlands (48%) and France (43%), but ahead of larger EU economies such as Germany (12%) and Spain (17%). Business Plus has more. 

Job evaluation and classification: EU Guidelines published

The EU Pay Transparency Directive (Directive) must be transposed into national laws by 7 June 2026. While much attention has focused on reporting thresholds and disclosure obligations, gender neutral job evaluation and classification sit at the core of the regime. This briefing from Eversheds Sutherland gives an overview of the EU Guidelines, the potential pitfalls and risk areas. More here. 

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Employer action required for auto-enrolment exemption

The National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA) has begun contacting employers where failure to meet the minimum standards for exemption from auto-enrolment has been identified. Employers contacted by NAERSA and at risk of having employees fall below the minimum standards need to consider how to best address that risk and William Fry provides guidance here.

Pensions considerations following a serious ill health diagnosis

A serious illness diagnosis can turn financial planning into an urgent and emotionally charged exercise. Pensions, in particular, are frequently misunderstood. With the right planning, however, pensions can offer flexibility, protection and tax efficiency at a critical moment. Mason, Hayes & Curran's Pensions team explores how pensions interact with serious illness, what options may be available before retirement age, and the key planning steps that can help avoid unintended outcomes. Read more here. 

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Cross border commuting increases as Ireland and Northern Ireland share strong skills commonalities

The labour markets in Ireland and Northern Ireland show strong alignment across several areas including skills priorities, sectoral needs and education trends.

Health, education, manufacturing and retail remain key employment sectors in both jurisdictions.
Cross border workers remain a small proportion of the population but flows from Northern Ireland to Ireland have grown significantly since 2011.

More here.

Population growth and ageing in Ireland: What it means for work

New Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) report highlights major implications for labour supply, skills planning and lifelong learning

Population projected to increase by close to one-fifth over the next two to three decades—around +1 million people.
Population ageing will intensify pressure on the labour force, increasing the need for measures that expand labour supply.
Long-term skills planning will be required to support enterprise growth, productivity and public services.
This report underscores the importance of lifelong learning and initiatives to help more people participate in the labour market.

More from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.

Senior public sector managers say pay must be competitive to ensure recruitment

The next public sector pay deal must reflect that the cost of fuel, food and other daily expenses have all increased significantly while tax changes have not kept pace, senior civil servants have heard at their annual conference in Dublin. Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants general secretary Ciarán Rohan told delegates that managers in the civil and public service are consistently being asked to do more, “but in real terms, they are not being paid more”. More from the Irish Times.

How will HSE budget overrun impact staff recruitment?

RTÉ news reports the HSE overspent its budget this year by €250m up to the end of March does not bode well for health unions concerned about staffing numbers. To try and control budgets, health regions have been told by HSE CEO Anne O' Connor to introduce new controls on overtime, the use of agency staff and recruitment, to help rein in the budget. More here.

But…

Hire Power: The strange tactics some companies are using when interviewing would-be workers

Imagine for a second that you've applied for a senior (very well-paying) role at a big tech company. On paper, you’re a perfect fit. You fly through the application process and come away from the interview confident you’ve impressed everyone on the panel. But then you get word that you’ve missed out on the job - because a driver – who doesn’t even work for the company in question - didn’t like your vibe. More here from RTÉ.

Two in five Irish workers looking for a new job

Two in five (39%) employees in Ireland are currently looking for a new job, research from HR and payroll technology provider SD Worx has found. In a survey of 1,000 employees and 301 employs, carried out for the firm by IVOX, a fifth (22%) of respondents said they believe their talents are not being fully utilised at work and nearly half (44%) said they do not receive any training or learning opportunities. You can read more from Business Plus here.

New Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) report highlights major implications for labour supply, skills planning and lifelong learning

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) has published a new report, ‘Skills Needs for Ireland in the Long-term’, setting out how demographic change is likely to shape Ireland’s labour market and skills requirements in the decades ahead.

 Key findings estimate that in the next two to three decades:

•    Ireland’s population will rise by 1 million people.
•    the number of old age dependents will double.
•    labour supply constraints and workforce planning will become increasingly important

You can read more here.  

The report can be found here. 

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Industrial Development (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2026

The purpose of this Bill is to further enhance the ability of the enterprise development agencies, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, to drive investment, employment and regional development. The Bill will ensure the enterprise agencies have the legislative tools they need to incentivise companies to accelerate their green and digital journeys, and will make the approval of environmental protection aid grants less complex and less time-consuming. Access the article here. 

You can follow the progress of the passage of this Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas at Industrial Development (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2026 – Houses of the Oireachtas. Read here.

Further action planned by ambulance staff in pay dispute

A 48-hour strike by SIPTU and Unite members in the National Ambulance Service is planned for 19 May following a 24-hour stoppage that has already disrupted services. The HSE reported longer response times during the strike, though workers continued to handle life-threatening emergencies. A work-to-rule remains in place, and unions have outlined further escalating strike actions later in May and June. More from RTE.

[update 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.....

Q&A: What are the new minimum remuneration requirements for employment permits?

A new Roadmap for Minimum Annual Remuneration Salary Thresholds (the Roadmap) was published by the government in December 2025. The roadmap sets out a gradual approach to increasing minimum salary thresholds extending through to 2030. Marie O'Reilly, Solicitor, A&L Goodbody sets this out in more detail here. 

AG Advises - Managing Employees on probation

We are regularly asked to advise clients in managing situations where employees are struggling during their probationary period. Recently we have seen an increase in cases being brought by employees who are dismissed during the probationary period. Kate Field, Legal Director at Addleshaw Goddard has more.

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:

Jean-Phillipe Charpentier v Verizon Ireland Limited, the Labour Court (Notice Party) and The Attorney General (Notice Party) [2025]

In this case, the High Court revived key European Works Council rights, ruling Verizon disputes over expert funding and collective complaints were wrongly narrowed under Irish law implementing the EU Directive.

This case is currently on appeal to the Supreme Court.

Read the full case review here. 

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Employers 'should have clear policy' around annual leave

Employers should set out a clear policy around workers' leave in order to avoid issues with staff taking time off, according to a legal expert. With summer around the corner and people finalising their holiday plans, companies are likely to see an up-tick in leave requests in the coming weeks. More from RTE.

Why authenticity fails without inclusion in the workplace (and what leaders miss)

Authenticity is often framed as an individual virtue. Be yourself. Speak your truth. Show up fully. But individuals do not exist in a vacuum. They exist inside social systems with norms about what counts as “professional”, “competent”, or “appropriate”. More from GORM.

HR Budget: Efficiency benchmarking insights for CHROs

Benchmark your HR budget approach against peers and make confident investment decisions in a continued environment of cost discipline and AI driven transformation. More from Gartner.

How ‘shadow workloads’ are impacting Ireland’s employees

According to research from Robert Walters, Irish professionals are reporting an increase in work as a result of a growing ‘shadow workload’, consisting of the invisible, non-core tasks employees often undertake alongside their main responsibilities and activities. Six out of 10 Irish participants in Robert Walters’ study said that in the last year, the remit of their work has expanded, without being officially recognised, acknowledged or accompanied by additional pay or career progression. Silicon Republic has more. 

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It is understood that 78 jobs are under threat at LinkedIn's Irish operation. The Department of Enterprise said it has received a notification of proposed collective redundancies from the company but did not comment on the number of jobs that are at risk. More.

The Irish construction industry contracted in April as uncertainty rose following the commencement of the conflict in the Middle East. New orders decreased for the first time in five month, prompting a renewed fall in construction activity and business confidence waned, according to the latest AIB Ireland construction PMI. The fuel protests contributed to a substantial lengthening of supplier delivery times as well as an increase in input cost inflation, but employment also rose. Business Plus has more here.

RTÉ reports the Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined PTSB a total of €277,500 over a series of personal data breaches. The DPC said the breaches occurred when malicious actors, in possession of certain customer information, called the financial institution's "Open24 Contact Centre" and posed as customers to gain access to their accounts and amend the details. "In all three incidents, appropriate security protocols were not followed," the DPC said in a statement.

A senior executive at Aer Lingus has denied giving false evidence to an employment tribunal and said he rejects the assertion made by a sacked pilot’s lawyer that he is a “barefaced liar”. Adrian Dunne, chief operating officer at Aer Lingus, was under cross-examination for a second day at the WRC on Monday. The tribunal is continuing hearings into complaints by former A320 captain Tom O’Riordan, who claims he was penalised for making protected disclosures in an “awareness campaign” about alleged “toxic fumes” aboard airliners. The Irish Times has more.

RTÉ reports the Communications Workers' Union (CWU) fears AI is decimating jobs amid concerns that 720 jobs are at risk at outsourcing firm Covalen, which provides services to social media giant Meta. CWU members at Covalen are due to strike on Friday in a dispute over union recognition and redundancy payments for staff facing job losses. Read here.

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Workers' Health and Safety in the Built Environment

Workers’ Memorial Day, which was held in Ireland on 28 April, is a timely reminder that workplace safety is not simply a matter of good practice: in Ireland it is a legal duty, owed to workers and to others who may be at risk while at work.

Irish health and safety law expects employers to move beyond reactive compliance and towards demonstrable, organised prevention: assess risks, document controls, train and consult workers, prepare for emergencies, and—particularly in the built environment—plan and coordinate work so that safety is designed in, not bolted on. Read the full article by Beauchamps here. 

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Employee Data - What ROI & NI Employers Must Collect, Keep, and Delete

Sponsored by HRLocker 

📅Wednesday, 3rd June 2026 
⏰10am - 11am
📍Online

HR teams in NI and ROI are facing rapid changes around what employee information can be gathered, stored and kept. This free webinar is designed to guide you through what’s required and what to avoid.

Join Julie Holmes from Legal Island for a free webinar with guest Crystel Robbins Rynne, CEO of HRLocker, for a focused 45-minute session that walks you through the full employee journey, from job ads to post-employment. With Crystel’s background as both a CEO and a senior HR leader, you’ll get real-world insight into what you can collect, what you shouldn’t keep, and how long each record can stay on file.

Julie will host the session and support the Q&A, helping translate the guidance into what it means for your organisation in practice.

REGISTER HERE. 

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

Enjoy the weekend!

Legal Island

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