Top 5 HR highlights this week 🗞️

1. Labour Court issues guidance on AI: what you need to know 🤖
2. Fake work or real risk? HR tackles keyboard jamming ⌨️
3. Job evaluation schemes: your biggest pay transparency trap? ⚖️
4. ‘Don’t like the zoo? Leave’: inside a workplace fallout 🐒
5. WRC claim landed: what do you do next? 📩

And in other news....last chance to grab your spot in our 90 minute Skill Builder for HR on Neurodiversity at Work, next Thursday, 26th March, and turn good intentions into real impact 💡Book your spot here. 

1. Case Law Reviews
2. AI and Employment Law
3. Neurodiversity at Work
4. Whistleblowing
5. Remote and hybrid working
6. Legal Gender Recognition
7. Pay Transparency
8. Just In Case You Missed It....
9. HR Developments
10. Employment News in the Media
11. Free Webinars This Month

Francesco Muro v Apple Distribution International Limited ADJ-00054355

Summary: Dismissal was upheld as fair where the employer formed a genuine and reasonable belief in serious misconduct following a fair disciplinary process.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

Employers should:

• Ensure that any disciplinary process involving alleged misconduct is supported by clear and objective evidence. This evidence should be carefully explained to the employee so that they fully understand the allegations and the basis upon which the employer believes misconduct occurred.
  
  
• Inform employees of allegations in sufficient detail, give adequate time to prepare a response, and allow representation during disciplinary hearings. Employers should also consider relevant mitigating factors such as length of service, previous disciplinary record, and personal circumstances before determining the appropriate sanction.
  
  
• Assess proportionality when imposing sanctions. Dismissal should generally be reserved for serious misconduct or situations where trust has irreparably broken down. 
  
  

Read the full Review here.

Mert Calvin Akyuz v GXO Logistics ADJ-00059561

Summary: Agency worker’s claims of disability discrimination and employment law breaches failed because his illnesses did not meet the legal definition of disability and he had brought the claims against the wrong employer.

Practical Guidance for Employers:

Employers should:

• Clearly define any contractual relationship between an agency, the host company and workers. Written documentation should specify who the legal employer is, who is responsible for payroll, and which entity bears statutory obligations under employment legislation.
  
  
• Ensure that managers and supervisors are trained in appropriate communication with agency staff. Informal remarks about sickness absence or job security may later be interpreted as discriminatory treatment. Even where a worker’s illness does not meet the statutory definition of disability, careless messaging or threats concerning attendance can create unnecessary legal disputes and reputational risks for the organisation.
  
  
• Maintain clear procedures for handling grievances and complaints raised by agency workers operating within their workplaces. While the agency may remain the legal employer, host organisations should cooperate with agencies in investigating complaints, recording working hours accurately and ensuring compliance with statutory requirements regarding working time and sick leave. 
  

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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Bank of Ireland steps up AI training

Bank of Ireland expands AI and data training as new research shows strong public demand for better fraud prevention and faster service through artificial intelligence. More from Think Business.

Using AI for parties appearing before the Labour Court

The Labour Court recognises that Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly used by parties to assist in preparing submissions, analysing documentation, and organising arguments. While the Court does not prohibit the use of AI, parties remain responsible for ensuring that any material generated or supported by such tools is accurate, reliable, and compliant with legal and procedural obligations. Read the Labour Court’s Guidance Note here.

Council of the EU agrees position on EU AI Act streamlining proposal

The Council of the European Union has agreed its negotiating position on a proposal to simplify the implementation of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). The Council position on the AI Act gives greater clarity for businesses and is step forward in finalising approach and Stevens & Bolton provide their examination on key aspects. Read here.

IoD Ireland Survey Reveals Strong AI Adoption by Directors but Gaps in Preparedness for New Laws

The IoD snap poll highlights that 85% of leaders now classify themselves as beginner to intermediate users of digital and AI tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. With the Government’s overview of the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026 now published, readiness among respondents appears low, with 65% reporting that they do not understand what Government’s new AI rules will mean for their organisation. Similarly, 64% of directors believe that they, and their organisations, are not equipped for the implementation of the Bill. You can find out more here.

SIPTU: Healthcare unions express concern about AI policy

Responding to the launch of the Artificial Intelligence for Care Strategy, the ICTU Group of Healthcare Unions has stated that any integration of Artificial Intelligence into the public health service must be done in consultation with the human backbone of the health service – its workers.  Healthcare unions have expressed disappointment that a document advancing AI processes in the public health service was published without adequate or any real engagement with worker representatives. You can read more from SIPTU here.

AI for HR Weekly Podcast with Barry Phillips 🎙️

The Rise of the Artificial Colleague

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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‘If you don’t like the zoo that much, then you should be gone,’ unhappy staff told

Business Plus revealed Dublin Zoo staff who made anonymous complaints about their workplace that were raised in the Dáil were told they “can leave” by a senior employee the next day. A staff meeting was held at the zoo in the Phoenix Park the day after the allegations were raised by People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy on November 6 last year. He used a debate on his Emergency Inspection of Dublin Zoo Bill to raise a number of serious allegations about governance at the organisation, including serious animal welfare issues resulting in the death of animals, harassment and sexual harassment of staff, and financial irregularities.

Remote working legislation ‘a lame duck’, senior Fórsa official tells conference

The legal right to request remote working has been described as “a lame duck” by a senior trade union official who said the current regulations were no more than “lip service” from a Government keen to capture one of the few good things to come out of the pandemic but without upsetting employers. More from the Irish Times.

Hybrid working now a 'baseline expectation' rather than a perk - Morgan McKinley

RTE rreports a Morgan McKinley study found that hybrid working has shifted from being a differentiator to a baseline expectation, with almost one in three employees ranking it among their most important benefits. Pensions, bonuses, and health insurance remain the most common benefits.

And the full report is available here.

‘Keyboard jamming’: what can HR do when remote workers fake activity?

After more than 50 police staff in the UK resigned or were dismissed for faking computer use over the past three years, experts say better management is key in this article from People Management.

Ireland's right to request remote work – functioning effectively despite a divided landscape

The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has published the results of its first statutory review of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. The findings of the Review provide a snapshot of Ireland’s flexible working landscape five years after the pandemic and two years (almost to the day) after publication of the Code of Practice on the Right to Request Remote Work. Lewis Silkin LLP provide more on this here.

A landmark EU court ruling on legal gender recognition “double underlines” the incompatibility of a controversial UK Supreme Court ruling with EU law, meaning it cannot be implemented in Northern Ireland. Irish Legal News has more on this story. 

Why a job evaluation scheme may be the biggest pay transparency liability

Pay transparency is no longer a future consideration. For HR leaders, it is an immediate governance challenge and the mechanism sitting at the heart of that challenge is one that many organisations have not meaningfully revisited in years. Most organisations have one. Most believe theirs is fit for purpose. And most, if pressed, could not explain how their evaluation scores were derived, why two roles at the same grade are paid differently, or how their methodology separates the nature of the work from the characteristics of the person performing it. That gap between having a job evaluation scheme and having one that can withstand scrutiny is about to become significantly more expensive to ignore. HR Director has more.

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.....

I have just received a letter from the WRC notifying me of a claim: How do I handle it?

No one wants to consider that an employee or a past employee might bring a claim against them in the Workplace Relations Commission. However, the reality is that even the best employers, with the best of intentions, can find themselves facing a claim before the WRC. RDJ LLP outline the key considerations you should bear in mind when navigating the initial steps of this process here.

N is for 'New' Ways of Working (the AI Revolution)

Ursula Henderson, Senior Consultant - HR, AAB looks at how workforce planning has always required HR professionals to look ahead, anticipate emerging pressures, and align people strategies with business objectives. Yet the environment we now face is markedly different from anything our profession has encountered before. We are not simply responding to a new piece of employment legislation or an incremental shift in labour market dynamics. Instead, organisations are preparing for one of the most profound restructuring of work since the industrial revolution, at the centre of this change is artificial intelligence, (AI). More on the Hub 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:

Hosford v Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection [2024]

In this case, Duncan examines how an employee must elect between a WRC claim and cause of action in tort when pursuing a penalisation and/or unfair dismissal action.

Read the full case review here.

The link between employee recognition and retention

Recognition influences retention for one simple reason: it answers a core question employees ask constantly, even if they never say it out loud - does what I do here matter? Retail Focus has more.

Most Employees Won’t Retire Until Their 80s

New research from the high-interest savings platform Flagstone has uncovered a startling “retirement reality gap” that should put every CHRO and Finance Director on high alert. The study reveals that a staggering 86% of employees are not on track to retire at their desired age with their desired income. HRD Connect has more on this. 

RTÉ reports a teacher who repeatedly made false declarations about his teaching qualifications in job applications to Cork Education and Training Board has been struck off the Register of Teachers. An inquiry panel of the Teaching Council also ruled that James Clancy - a teacher from Cork - cannot apply to have his name restored to the register for a minimum of 10 years.

The HSE said it is “reviewing” the circumstances surrounding its failure to suspend a doctor at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) after it was initially made aware he had raped a nurse who was also working at the hospital. The HSE Mid West, which is the health authority in charge of UHL, said it is “reviewing all of the circumstances to ensure all appropriate supports were made available to the victim”. However, it admitted: “Dr Kila should have been suspended from clinical practice when we became aware of the assault.” The Journal has more on this story.

A parliamentary advisor who did not get enhanced redundancy when they took up a political job in Europe with an Irish politician should only get the extra money if and when the MEP loses their seat, the WRC has said. RTE has more here.

Employer Insights from Real Bullying and Harassment Cases

Missed our webinar on real bullying and harassment cases? Catch up with the recording here.

Dr Gerry McMahon, a national expert with 35+ years in workplace investigations, shares real-life scenarios, common pitfalls, and WRC expectations. Hosted by Julie Holmes from Legal Island, the session gives practical guidance so HR teams can handle complaints fairly, consistently, and confidently without needing to be perfect.

Check out previous discussions:
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Enjoy the weekend!

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