Top 5 reads with your morning coffee ☕

1. Over half of Irish workers feel underpaid. 💸
2. Irish firms are lagging on AI investment. 🤖
3. Document chaos is driving GDPR and WRC risk. 📂
4. SIPTU sums up retirement age rules - read more on our Hub. 📘
5. Workplaces were not built for humans apparently. 🪑

And in other news… Neurodiversity at Work delivered by Dr Susan Hill, Medmark on 26 March is a jam packed 90 minute online session to help you lead more inclusively and confidently, with two free Hub member places available, so do not miss out. Book your spot today. 

1. Case Law Reviews
2. AI and Employment Law
3. Skill Builder for HR: Neurodiversity at Work
4. A deep dive into the EU Platform Work Directive
5. More than half of Irish workers feel they are not paid fairly – survey
6. Document disorder’ leads to GDPR and WRC risks for SMEs
7. Just In Case You Missed It....
8. HR Developments
9. Employment News in the Media
10. Free Webinars This Month

A Creche Worker v A Creche [2026]

Summary: WRC held that force majeure leave was wrongly refused where an employee’s husband suffered a sudden medical emergency, and that the resulting non-payment of wages breached the Payment of Wages Act.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

Employers should:

• Approach force majeure leave requests with a clear understanding of the statutory criteria, particularly the requirement that the event be urgent, unforeseeable, and that the employee’s immediate presence be indispensable.
  
  
• Ensure that policies expressly outline the documentation required while also allowing managerial discretion in emergency scenarios. Where an employee reports a sudden hospitalisation or life-threatening medical event involving a close family member, employers should provisionally grant leave subject to later verification, rather than refuse outright.
  
  
• Ensure line managers are trained in statutory leave entitlements and compassionate handling of crisis situations. Refusals should be reasoned, proportionate, and legally grounded.

Read the full Review here: A Creche Worker v A Creche [2026]

Stacey Vernon v Actavo (Ireland) Ltd [2026]

Summary: WRC found that PAYE applied to a resignation bonus and that no unlawful deduction arose.

Practical Guidance for Employers: 

Employers should exercise caution when making representations regarding termination payments, particularly where references are made to “tax efficient” arrangements. Any assurances relating to the tax treatment of bonuses, ex gratia sums, or termination payments should be expressly set out and subject to HR and Revenue compliance. Further, clear internal governance is essential. Authority to agree remuneration or termination packages should be confined to designated HR / senior management. Employers should ensure that line managers understand the limits of their authority (and the legal implications of discussing tax treatment with employees). Finally, employers must ensure strict adherence to statutory taxation obligations. Payments processed through payroll must be taxed in accordance with PAYE unless a lawful exemption applies and has been properly verified.

Read the full Review here: Stacey Vernon v Actavo (Ireland) Ltd [2026]

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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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Irish businesses investing less in AI than global counterparts

Despite the gap, the research found that almost 70pc of Irish executives have formal technology transformation strategies in place. New research from the latest Forvis Mazars C-suite Barometer: Outlook 2026 report has found that while Irish organisations prioritise the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in long-term growth plans, in terms of investment, companies are lagging behind their global counterparts. Silicon Republic has the full story.

How AI is Reinventing Employer Branding

Today’s candidates prioritise authenticity over advertising. AI is transforming employer branding into a strategic engine for real-time listening and predictive reputation management. Success lies in balancing technological efficiency with human empathy to ensure brands feel human. The future of HR demands a powerful fusion of data and emotional intelligence. HR Director has the full story.

Ireland Publishes New National Digital and AI Strategy: Key Takeaways for Business

This is its updated National Digital and AI Strategy, setting out 20 high-level objectives supported by 90 specific deliverables across seven policy areas: public services, enterprise, digital and AI infrastructure, cyber security, digital regulation, online safety, and skills and talent. The strategy is structured around five strategic ambitions: Apply, Grow, Invest, Lead, and Empower, and will be implemented on a cross-government basis from the Department of the Taoiseach. This article summarises the key elements of the strategy and their implications for businesses operating in or from Ireland. More from William Fry.

AI for HR Weekly Podcast with Barry Phillips 🎙️

This week's episode: GenAI is Free… But Soon We’ll Need to Talk Budgets

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 🎧 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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In this second instalment of a three-part series on the EU Platform Work Directive (Directive (EU) 2024/2831), Arthur Cox examine in detail the legislative obligations that will transform the regulatory landscape for digital labour platforms.  Read it in full here.

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A new survey from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has found that more than half of workers believe their pay does not match their skills and effort. The IrelandThinks poll of 1,850 people found that 52% of workers say their current pay fails to match their contribution to their job, compared to just 44% who feel fairly compensated. Seven out of ten respondents felt that they did not have the same level of power as their employer when negotiating terms of employment. RTÉ has more.

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Irish SME businesses are facing significant and avoidable compliance risks as outdated HR document practices leave many exposed to breaches of data protection law and Workplace Relations Commission rules. Findings from the HRLocker’s Irish SME HR Report show that gaps in how HR files are stored and governed have become a major pressure point for employers with between 20 and 249 staff. The study highlights that many businesses believe they are operating compliantly, yet the systems they use fall short of what regulators expect. More from Think Business.

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.....

Managing employees on sick leave : How do I handle it?

Managing employees on sick leave can bring up a large array of different and unpredictable scenarios – and associated legal risks, often quite complex.  In this article, Nathalie King, Foreign Qualified Lawyer, RDJ LLP, addresses three sick leave related queries and address how employers can handle these issues. More here.

Duncan's Case Law Reviews

Duncan Inverarity, Former Partner & Head of Employment at A&L Goodbody LLP brings up 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:

A.B. v The Health Service Executive [2025]

A series of allegations including sexual assault arose against AB, a consultant surgeon which led to a number of investigations. As a result of this, the CEO of the HSE placed AB on paid administrative leave from Hospital X. The Court of Appeal overturned injunction, prioritised patient safety, found no strong Braganza breach and held surgeon lacked clean hands. Read Duncan's full case review here.

Summary of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025

Roisin Boyle, Employment Solicitor at Ireland's largest trade union, SIPTU provides a summary of employer's obligations under the new Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025. Read it in full here.

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Job Hugging Is the New Quiet Quitting... Only Worse

Low turnover has long been the “holy grail” of HR metrics, but in 2026, it might be a symptom of a deeper malaise. As economic anxiety and AI-tech-dread take hold, employees aren’t staying because they’re inspired, they’re “job hugging” for survival. Is your organization’s stability actually a sign of dangerous stagnation? HRD Connect has the full story.

Gender-balanced leadership seen as key to resilience by 84% of Irish executives

Irish businesses are maintaining their commitment to gender-balanced leadership despite growing international scrutiny of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, according to new research published by 30% Club Ireland in partnership with Reputation Inc. Business Plus has more.

How the workplace wasn't designed for humans – and it shows

Input. Output. Targets met. Value created. Performance delivered. Strip work down to its essentials and, for many people, it remains a machine-like focus on producing, performing and optimising. The system keeps moving – often with little concern for the human energy, attention and resilience required to keep it running. Over time, this can lead to stress, ill-health, disengagement and burnout. Almost half of employees worldwide say they're currently burned out and nearly three-quarters of US workers report that workplace stress affects their mental health. Read the full piece by Christine Ipsen, Technical University of Denmark and Maria Karanika-Murray, University of Leicester here.

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Kevin Foley, a former Chairman of the Labour Court, has been announced as the new Chairman of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The Department of Enterprise said the appointment follows an open recruitment process conducted by publicjobs, the Public Appointments Service. Catch up here.

A WRC adjudicator has launched his own WRC case against the State, alleging he suffered gender-related discrimination when he failed to get an interview for a role where all three advertised positions were filled by women. Lawyers for the adjudicator also submitted that comments were relayed to their client that the attitude of the director-general of the WRC towards him and a colleague was negative and that they would not be given any further interviews. RTÉ has the full story. 

There will be no reductions of special needs assistants for the next school year, Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton and Minister of State for Special Education Michael Moynihan have confirmed. An extra €19 million is to be provided to fund special needs assistants following a meeting of Government party leaders and several ministers last night. RTÉ has more on this.

Data centre company Equinix has announced an investment of up to $700 million (€593m) to support the construction of an advanced manufacturing facility by Hanley Energy. The opening of the new plant, located in Dundalk, Co Louth, will lead to the creation of 200 jobs and will serve as a global hub for manufacturing specialised power equipment for data centres. More from RTÉ.
 
An employment judge in Northern Ireland has described a claimant’s use of generative AI to produce his witness statement as a “disturbing development”. The claimant, who represented himself, had been instructed by another judge at a preliminary hearing as to the nature and contents of a witness statement, including that it should contain only evidence relating to the issue and not the parties’ submissions or arguments. Irish Legal News has more.

SIPTU has said it is engaging with management at Teva Pharmaceuticals over threatened redundancies at its plant in Waterford. The union has said the move could impact up to 19 of its members at the pharmaceutical manufacturer. Teva is one of the largest employers in the south east region with a workforce of around 700 people. RTÉ has more.

A sacked Aer Lingus attendant has been accused of refusing to let a passenger on a delayed flight use the bathroom in a stand-off over alleged bad language from the man while boarding. One of the complainant's colleagues told the Workplace Relations Commission yesterday that the passenger - a man in his 30s - was reduced to tears by the time he got a chance to go. More from RTÉ.

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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:
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