Thursday, 27 March 2025
09:15 - 16:30 (7 hrs)
Online
Are we ever truly in the office anymore? From remote working to flexible schedules and the perennial HR headache of absence management, the workplace has transformed—and so have the legal complexities. Join us for an insightful event where we’ll guide you through the evolving legal landscape to help you effectively navigate absence management (short and long-term sickness absence), remote and flexible working and all the new types of employee leaves out there.
As an HR professional, you are at the forefront of balancing operational needs with employee rights, all while staying compliant with Ireland’s ever-changing legal framework. This will be an engaging and practical event that will unpack the latest legislation, key case studies, and actionable strategies to effectively manage out-of-office scenarios. Don’t miss this opportunity to ensure your workplace policies and practices are not only compliant but also supportive and sustainable in today’s dynamic work environment.
Join us for the next in the series of Legal Answers to HR Dilemmas. From remote working to family leave, flexible working to sickness the modern world of work means HR teams are grappling with multiple work patterns and ways of engaging.
Our expert panel of legal professionals will guide you through the intricate maze of employment law in these areas, offering practical solutions, best practices, and legal insights to help you navigate these complex waters with confidence while ensuring your organisation stays legally compliant and reducing the risk of costly employment litigation and consuming valuable senior management resources.
HR professionals, line managers and anyone else within an organisation with responsibility for invoking company policies and procedures, risk assessment, compliance and governance, including those who manage, advise and/or make decisions regarding remote and flexible working, sickness and absence, and balancing work-life boundaries etc.
Discover practical solutions to some of the most challenging HR dilemmas facing organisations in Ireland today. This must-attend event will cover remote and flexible working, managing sickness and absence, and balancing work-life boundaries. Gain valuable insights from leading experts, helping you tackle legal and HR complexities with confidence and keep your organisation compliant and resilient.
If you are dealing with these types of HR dilemmas day in day out at work and are confused with the ever-evolving landscape of Irish employment law, this event is for YOU. You will obtain the clarity and confidence you need to effectively perform your role. Mishandling of HR scenarios can lead to lengthy employment litigation, reputational damage, and significant financial liabilities for an organisation. Let us guide you on the law and best practices so you will leave feeling confident and reassured that the procedure and process you follow are legally watertight.
By attending this event, you will get the opportunity to focus and ask questions on specific complex scenarios that come across your desk every day that potentially carry a lot of legal risk (some you may not even be aware of!). The event will help you proactively mitigate those risks by understanding what the common mistakes are; how to avoid them and integrate best practices into your organisation so you can sleep soundly at night!
Here's what to expect during Legal Answers to HR Dilemmas.
Familiarise yourself with the functions of our online event to ensure you maximise return on your investment. Laura McKee from Legal Island’s Knowledge Team welcomes delegates to our event.
Did you know that employee sickness absence rates in Ireland have been steadily rising? In 2023, the average employee was absent for 7.8 days per year, compared to just 5.8 days in 2019. This surge presents a real challenge for organisations trying to keep things running smoothly while managing health-related absences.
Join Julie Galbraith, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland LLP (Ireland) as she unpacks the legal landscape of sickness absence management. You'll get practical insights into the latest trends, as well as key legal principles, including:
Join Marie Claire Scullion, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland LLP (Ireland) as she dives into the key case law surrounding disability-related absences and the steps employers must take to ensure compliance with reasonable accommodation requirements.
In this session, Marie Claire will:
With the introduction of the Work Life Balance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 and the Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Right to Request Flexible Working and the Right to Request Remote Working, these type of requests are on the rise (significantly!), and employers must respond effectively. Employers are faced with the challenge of accommodating these requests while maintaining productivity and company culture.
Conor Fynes, Associate, Eversheds Sutherland LLP (Ireland) will:
With a wave of new employee rights and entitlements introduced in 2023 and 2024, it’s no wonder HR managers are feeling a bit overwhelmed! This session will focus on the key legislative changes you need to know and act on right now to ensure your organisation is fully compliant.
Emma Quinn, Associate, Eversheds Sutherland LLP (Ireland) will lead a practical session covering:
This highly engaging session invites attendees to work together on a comprehensive case study featuring a mix of dilemmas from throughout the day.
Guided by Eversheds Sutherland LLP (Ireland) experts, attendees will:
This is your chance to put your questions to the Employment team at Eversheds Sutherland LLP (Ireland)!
Got a tricky question of your own? Drop us a line before the event and we will put it to the Eversheds Sutherland Partners – gosia@legal-island.com
Here's what previous attendees had to say about Legal Answers to HR Dilemmas.
Conor is a Solicitor in the Employment Law department. Conor has experience acting for and advising clients in both the public and private sectors on a wide range of issues affecting the employment relationship, from pre-employment matters through to termination of the employment relationship.
Conor’s advisory work includes drafting employment contracts, consultancy agreements, employment policies and termination agreements. Conor also regularly provides on-the-spot advice in relation to day-to-day matters to include grievances and disciplinary matters, absence management and performance issues, whistleblowing, working time, payment of wages, equality/discrimination and the enforcement of restrictive covenants.
Conor has experience in litigation and dispute resolution matters and has advised clients in relation to the Workplace Relations Commission, Labour Court, and civil court processes.
Julie Glbraith is Partner in the Employment Law department at Eversheds Sutherland. She advises clients on all aspects of the employment relationship from recruitment to termination. She works with public and private sector clients on contentious and non-contentious employment issues to deliver on the business needs of our clients. She advises HR, legal and business teams on the multitude of day to day and strategic issues such as disciplinary, grievance, performance management, equality, data protection, TUPE and termination of employment matters.
Julie is secretary and board member of the Employment Law Association of Ireland and lectures on the Law Society Employment Law Diploma course. She regularly speaks to the media on employment topics.
Emma advises clients in both the public and private sectors on a wide range of issues affecting the employment relationship, from pre-employment matters through to termination of the employment relationship.
Emma’s advisory work includes drafting employment contracts, consultancy agreements, employment policies and termination agreements. Emma also regularly provides on-the-spot advice in relation to day-to-day matters to include grievances and disciplinary matters, absence management and performance issues, whistleblowing, working time, payment of wages, equality/discrimination and the enforcement of restrictive covenants.
Emma has experience in data protection matters and regularly advises clients in relation to data subject access requests and their obligations under the GDPR.
Marie Claire is a partner at Eversheds Sutherland specialising in employment law with over 18 years’ experience.
She advises national and international clients on all aspects of employment relationship, non-contentious and contentious. Marie Claire advises on the day-to-day employment issues that arise and guides employers through restructuring programmes and advises on TUPE issues, disciplinary matters, protected disclosures and termination of employment. She also advises businesses on their data protection obligations in the workplace and assists employers in their GDPR compliance.
Marie Claire tutors on the Law Society of Ireland’s employment law professional practice course and is a member of DCU’s Anti-Bullying Centre Advisory Board.
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