Christine, Julie, and Laura - known as the Knowledge Team - bring extensive expertise in employment law, HR, and learning & development. With diverse backgrounds spanning top-tier law firms, in-house roles, and voluntary organisations across the UK and Ireland, they provide informed and strategic support on employment matters.
Our team includes qualified (now non-practising) employment solicitors with experience in both legal and corporate sectors, alongside an experienced HR professional and CIPD Associate Member, ensuring a well-rounded approach to workplace challenges.
Heatwave incoming, so here are 32 fabulous places to explore around Ireland for “inspiration” (or highly organised procrastination), before you get to your weekly employment law update ☀️
Top 5 Reads to Keep You Informed:
- Ireland’s Best Employers 2026 is out 👀
- EU Publishes Draft Guidelines on Classification of High-Risk AI System🤖
- New CIPD data reveals what Irish HR is really dealing with 📊
- Flexible working is now a must have, not a nice to have ☕
- Blog: Managing Employees on Probation 📋
And in other news.....we’ve lined up two of the leading voices in Protected Disclosures, Ger Deering, Protected Disclosures Commissioner and Emer Butler, Head of OPDC for what promises to be a standout event packed with practical real world experience on managing whistleblowing in the workplace. MORE HERE. 👏🎤
CONTENTS ⚓︎
- Case Law Reviews
- AI and Employment Law
- Skill Builder for HR: Managing Protected Disclosures
- Pay Transparency
- Industrial Relations
- Ireland's Best Employers 2026 revealed
- CIPD: HR practices in Ireland
- Recruitment
- Hybrid & Flexible Working
- Requirements to Mitigate Loss – Recent Decisions from the Labour Court and WRC
- Just In Case You Missed It....
- HR Developments
- Employment News in the Media
- Health and Safety Developments
- Friends of Legal Island
- Free Webinars This Month
1. Case Law Reviews ⚓︎
Dealing with a remote working request? Just in case you missed them, take a look at two case reviews on this topic below......
Zaurbek Musaev v TikTok Technology Limited
Summary: The Complainant challenged TikTok’s refusal of a full-time remote working request linked to past road traffic accidents and a long commute. TikTok relied on the contractual requirement that the Dublin office was the place of work and argued the request had been properly considered under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023.
Practical Guidance for Employers:
Once proper consideration is given to a remote working request the merits of the decision cannot be challenged.
Javier Osorio v Cognizant Technology Solutions Ireland Limited
Summary: Once a work from home request is properly considered, employers cannot be held liable for its rejection under the 2023 Act.
Practical Guidance for Employers:
- The WRC ruled that the Complainant’s application was properly considered and the company “recognised his need to balance his work and childcare responsibilities”.
- Once a work from home request is properly considered, employers cannot be held liable for its rejection under the 2023 Act.
Remember: Our Irish case law reviews are now held in our case law section on our fully-searchable employment law hub website.
2. AI & Employment Law ⚓︎
EU Publishes Draft Guidelines on Classification of High-Risk AI System
On 19 May 2026 the European Commission opened a five-week consultation on its draft Guidelines for the classification of high-risk AI systems under Article 6 of the AI Act, closing on 23 June. The same draft confirms that the AI Omnibus has postponed application of Article 6(2) to 2 December 2027 and Article 6(1) to 2 August 2028. Brussels has produced the rigorous interpretive guidance industry has been asking for in the same week that it has moved the deadlines those rules attach to by sixteen and twelve months respectively. The two facts have to be read together to understand the present condition of European AI regulation. William Fry has more.
Europe’s public sector deploying AI faster than it can manage – report
A new global study on sovereign AI, commissioned by Dell Technologies, highlights the key challenges for Europe. While leaders in Europe’s public sector are showing strong drive in accelerating modernisation through agentic AI, they also face a critical gap in the skills that are needed to operate these advanced technologies. According to the research, this is creating a significant divide between ambition and operational capacity. You can read more on this from Silicon Republic.
Workplaces struggling to keep up with rise of AI – survey
Irish workplaces are struggling to keep up with the rapid rise of AI, according to new research from CIPD, the professional body for the HR industry. Its latest HR Practices in Ireland study, which was carried out in conjunction with the Kemmy Business School at University of Limerick, found that just 19% of organisations said that bosses are fully equipped to lead in an AI-driven environment, RTÉ reports.
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.
3. Skill Builder for HR: Managing Protected Disclosures ⚓︎
Skill Builder for HR: Managing Protected Disclosures
📅Wednesday, 17th June
⏰12:30 - 14:00 ( 1 hour 30 mins )
📍Online
Join us, Ger Deering, Protected Disclosures Commissioner and Emer Butler, Head of the Office of Protected Disclosures Commissioner, for what promises to be a standout session on the realities of handling whistleblowing disclosures in the workplace.
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.
4. Pay Transparency ⚓︎
Supporting EUPTD Compliance: New European Union Gender-Neutral Job Evaluation Guidelines for a Fairer Workforce
With the EU Pay Transparency Directive (“EUPTD”) due to be brought into force by EU Member States by 7 June, the European Union has finally published revised guidance for employers to help prepare for the Directive. Adopting an objective and gender-neutral job classification is needed to able to categorise workers performing work of equal value, for the purposes of the EU Pay Transparency Directive and beyond. It’s a key step towards:
• Ensuring equal pay for work of equal value between women and men
• Building trust and transparency in pay systems
• Attracting and retaining talent in a competitive market by linking clear career paths
• Reducing legal risks and ensuring compliance with EUPTD and other pay transparency requirements
EU Pay Transparency Directive - what it means for Irish businesses
New data from Indeed shows that just 39% of Irish job postings feature salary information as of March 2026, up 3% from the same period last year. The data highlights that Ireland's inclusion of salary information is behind the UK (56%), the Netherlands (48%) and France (43%) though ahead of several large EU economies such as Germany (12%) and Spain (17%). In addition, Indeed's research found that across Europe, around three in four women said they should be more likely to apply to a job if the salary was stated and believe job postings should include salary ranges as standard, compared to roughly two in three men. More from RTE here.
Stalling for time on EU Pay Transparency directive? That’s a business fail
When you pay women less just because they’re women or because they might get married and have children one day, you’re missing out on talent, growth and profit. The World Bank estimated in 2024 that closing gender gaps across the labour market could produce a 20 per cent rise in global GDP.
Delaying the EU Pay Transparency directive is not a neutral act. Governments and companies are making a choice to leave money on the table, to walk away from higher profits and economic success. Instead, they choose to preserve an outrageous historical injustice that systematically undervalues half of Europe’s workforce. Read this opinion piece in the Irish Times here.
5. Industrial Relations ⚓︎
National Ambulance Service Dispute Update
Ambulance service pay dispute talks resume
Talks at the Labour Court aimed at resolving a pay dispute at the National Ambulance Service have resumed. SIPTU and Unite met with HSE management on Monday and Tuesday, but SIPTU has described the discussions as "difficult" and said agreement has not yet been reached. Catch up.
6. Ireland's Best Employers 2026 revealed ⚓︎
Ireland's Best Employers 2026 revealed: It’s the killer question – ‘Would you recommend your employer to a friend?’
Most of us, if we are lucky, will spend far longer in the world of work than we ever did at school, college or in training.
The Sunday Independent partnered with Statista R to produce the now annual Best Employers rankings – a tool that they hope empowers their readers when it comes to being genuinely informed when they make what can be life-changing career decisions.
Whether it is happening on a factory floor, a bustling office, the spare bedroom at home, or flying 40,000 feet in the air, work defines the shape of our days and weeks and provides often dense networks of interpersonal connections – some of them hugely entertaining, some massively challenging – that are the basis for much of our social and intellectual lives as well. So it makes sense that where we work, who we work for and who we work with really matters. Read more from the Irish Independent here.
7. CIPD: HR practices in Ireland ⚓︎
The annual HR practices in Ireland survey helps keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the profession. Key findings include:
• HR is increasingly recognised as a strategic partner and a cultural leader
• AI and digital transformation are now key organisational change drivers
• Leadership continues to be identified as the top capability gap
You can download the full report here.
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8. Recruitment ⚓︎
Half of employers hiring fewer graduates and entry-level staff
Nearly half of employers are reducing hiring for entry and graduate roles despite a wider uplift in hiring intent, IrishJobs has found. Some 47% of employers are cutting entry and graduate-level roles in part due to rising costs and increased automation, but 46% plan to increase hiring in the second half of 2026, indicating continued confidence despite the uncertainty. More from Business Plus.
9. Hybrid & Flexible Working ⚓︎
FSU and Bank of Ireland accept arbitrators report on hybrid working
The Financial Services Union (FSU) and Bank of Ireland have accepted the final report from the arbitrator appointed to adjudicate on the dispute between the bank and the union on hybrid working. The arbitrator, Liam Doherty presented his final report to the union and management at the end of last week. It found that hybrid eligible staff should work in-person 8 days a month. RTÉ has more.
And…
75% of staff rate flexible working as major benefit
Employers need to do more to link employee benefits with wider objectives as less than half use schemes as key part of retention efforts. 75% of employees rate flexible working ‘highly’, but only 40% of businesses offer it, failing to maximise on benefits which would improve productivity and improve retention levels. The bigger the company the more likely they are to offer flexibility, with 68% offering a mix of compressed working week, job sharing, part-time working, term-time working and home working, revealed latest CIPD survey of employee benefits. Accountancy Daily has more.
10. Requirements to Mitigate Loss – Recent Decisions from the Labour Court and WRC ⚓︎
The WRC and the Labour Court each recently issued a decision in Conor Gilligan v Derrin Group Management Limited (ADJ-00058189) (WRC decision) and Accountancy & Business College (Ireland) Limited t/a Dublin Business School v Amir Sajad Esmaeily (UD/24/134) (Labour Court decision) which provide useful guidance on a Complainant’s duty to mitigate their financial loss in claims for unfair dismissal and the consequences where they have not appropriately mitigated their loss. Anne O'Connell Solicitors has more on this here.
11. Just In Case You Missed It...... ⚓︎
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.....
The EU Platform Work Directive: What HR professionals and employers in Ireland need to know
The EU Platform Work Directive (Directive (EU) 2024/2831) was adopted in October 2024 and must be transposed into Irish law by 2 December 2026. For HR, it prompts a review of where digital rules shape work, because they can trigger employment, pay, equality, and data/AI obligations. Caroline Reidy, Head of HR Solutions, NFP has more on this 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, Partner at Addleshaw Goddard has more.
12. HR Developments ⚓︎
HR a 'drain on resources' 😮
The chief executive of a US firm has defended his decision to eliminate the company’s HR department, arguing the team had been “creating problems that didn’t exist”. Ryan Breslow, co-founder and chief executive of Bolt, made the comments after the company cut around 30 per cent of its workforce in April – its fourth round of layoffs in four years. More from Irish Legal News.
What is different about Gen Z leadership?
As Gen Z begins to take on management responsibility, workplaces have begun discussions about what good leadership looks like from this new cohort’s perspective. When asked what defines good leadership, Gen Z most often points to accountability (63%), followed by transparency (52%) and empathy (43%). These attributes aren’t new. What’s changed is the growing expectation that leaders demonstrate them consistently. You can read more from HR Director.
Why career cushioning is the new warning signal for HR
Across industries, a growing number of professionals are quietly building safety nets into their careers, upskilling, networking, freelancing or exploring side roles, not because they are disengaged, but because they are uncertain. This behaviour is increasingly being described as “career cushioning.” For HR leaders, it is an early signal of a workforce that is adapting faster than organisational structures. HRD Connect explains.
Does your organisation really listen when employees raise environmental ideas?
Employees are already raising sustainability concerns at work. Explore how environmental voice shapes organisational culture, ESG strategy, HR practice and workplace sustainability. HR Director has more.
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13. Employment News in the Media
A manager who was sacked after 45 years at the Murphy construction group when the firm learned its machines, staff and materials were used to build a house for his son has lost his claim for unfair dismissal. Dermot Murphy and his son were both sacked from senior positions at Murphy International Limited in the wake of a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower, the WRC heard. You can read more on this from RTÉ.
RTÉ reports a single mother of three sacked from her admin job at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland has secured an admission that her dismissal was unfair after she was left out of work for more than a year. Monsurat Balogun, a project co-ordinator, said that after her sacking in March 2025, she was left "having to explain to my kids having to pull them out of their afterschool activities" because "I couldn't afford it". More here.
According to Silicon Republic, Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda has announced plans to lay off 4,500 people from its globally dispersed workforce, as a means of restructuring and reducing costs. Reportedly, the cuts will start in early July and could extend to December 2027. The pharma company has four locations in Ireland, employing more than 1,000 people. Access the full article here.
New University of Galway research on the Irish hospitality sector has found breaches of employment rights and high levels of stress, burnout, and poor workplace conditions across the industry. The findings are based on 736 responses collected from hospitality workers in Ireland in 2025 as part of a wider global project examining hospitality working conditions across multiple countries. The survey found continued breaches of basic employment rights among some workers, including pay below the minimum wage, unpaid hours and missing employment documentation. More from Hospitality Ireland.
A company which unfairly made a worker redundant, then lost her another job by refusing, without explanation, to fill out a reference questionnaire in time, must now pay €40,000 towards her extended losses. The worker, Shulammite Awotundun, spent 14 months out of work after being let go from her job as a travel consultant at Brendan Vacations Ireland Ltd on Christmas Eve 2024, despite getting a job offer before the end of February 2025, RTÉ reports.
A café manager who was nicknamed ‘Sofia Vergara’ by her employer and was ridiculed because of her accent has been awarded compensation of almost €4,000 for harassment. Vedrana Miskic, who had worked at the Cake Café in Dublin 8 for just over four weeks before her dismissal in May 2025, was also awarded an additional €3,762 in respect of other breaches of employment legislation. Breaking News has more.
The Irish Times reports social media giant Meta is to cut up to 350 jobs from its Irish workforce as part of the company’s latest round of global job losses that will see it shed thousands of roles worldwide. The number is significantly higher than the initial 10 per cent expected, which would have seen numbers reduced by 180. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has been informed of the cuts. Read here.
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14. Health and Safety Developments ⚓︎
HSA: Risk Assessment – Bullying in the Workplace
This sample risk assessment provides an example on how to identify hazards, assess risk and what control measures need to be taken by employers. You can download it here.
Your Guide to Unreported Workplace Injuries
A normal workday can change in an instant. A slip, a fall, or a machinery malfunction can leave you injured, unable to work, and worried about your financial future. That worry can quickly turn to panic when you discover your employer is refusing to officially log the incident. To understand your position, it’s important to know what your employer is legally required to do. Irish health and safety legislation places strict duties on employers to maintain a safe working environment and properly document workplace accidents. Read the full article by Homs Assist.
15. Friends of Legal Island ⚓︎
RDJ awarded Investors in Diversity Gold accreditation
RDJ has been awarded Investors in Diversity Gold accreditation – the highest accreditation awarded by the Irish Centre for Diversity, Ireland’s leading awarding body for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
The Gold accreditation recognises RDJ’s sustained and authentic commitment to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion across all areas of the firm. It also acknowledges the continued investment being made to ensure people are treated fairly, respected for who they are, and supported to thrive at every stage of their career.
Congratulations from Legal Island! 🎉
16. Free Webinars This Month
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.
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