Employment

A news organisation based in the USA has lost an appeal against a decision that a UK employment tribunal had jurisdiction in a dispute over claim by a British journalist initially employed by its Atlanta office for unfair dismissal and various other kinds of discrimination. The claimant, Saima Bhatt

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has made its first award for a breach of remote working legislation. Salesforce was ordered to pay €1,000 to employee Thomas Farrell after failing to respond to his formal remote working request within the statutory four-week deadline.

Northern Ireland's employment legislation is set for its most significant update in 25 years. Economy minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald yesterday set out proposals to introduce a new Employment Bill supported by secondary legislation, statutory codes of practice and guidance.

A new online employment permits system has been launched by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The new system, launched today, aims to deliver an improved customer experience and a more efficient and responsive service.

Plans to promote collective bargaining in Ireland in line with new EU legislation have gone out for consultation. The EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages requires member states where the collective bargaining rate is less than a threshold of 80 per cent — which currently includes a majority

Plans to extend entitlement to paid statutory sick leave from five days to 10 days have been abandoned by the government. The Sick Leave Act 2022 introduced a statutory right to paid sick leave for the first time and was meant to be phased in from 2023 to 2026.

Northern Ireland's Labour Relations Agency (LRA) has strengthened its independent appeals hearing service with a new governance framework and 16 new panel chairs. The independent appeals service is one of a suite of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services provided by the LRA, mostly to organis

The Employment Law Review Group (ELRG) is to initially examine three areas of employment law. The new group's approved work programme for 2025–2026 covers the determination of employment status, the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977–2015 and the notice periods in the Minimum Notice and Terms o

Proposed new legislation would allow workers whose contract has a retirement age of 65 or under to work to the State Pension Age of 66 if they want. The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 sets out that that an employer may not enforce a contractual retirement age which is below the S

Barry Crushell reviews cases testing the relatively new right to request remote working arrangements. The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provision Act 2023 came into effect on 4 April 2024 and originally aimed to increase the participation of women in the labour market and the shared take-up of

The Department of Transport has launched a public consultation on proposals to ratify the Work in Fishing Convention and its implementation in Irish law. The Work in Fishing Convention was agreed at the International Labour Conference in 2007.

The High Court has allowed an appeal by Debenhams Retail (Ireland) Limited against findings made in favour of a former employee in her test case before the Labour Court. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice Anthony Barr opined that although the notification by Debenhams’ parent c

Lewis Silkin lawyers Ciara Fulton and Orla Bingham consider the employment law landscape in Northern Ireland. Proposals for the introduction of miscarriage leave and ‘safe leave’ for victims of domestic abuse have recently been announced in Great Britain. These rights have been pending i

A case at the English Court of Appeal is considering whether all external job applicants should have whistleblowing legal protection. Currently the scope of whistleblowing law does not include people applying for a job, other than job applicants to the NHS who are legally protected by the Employment

Barry Crushell highlights a recent employment dispute where CCTV footage played a central role. The case of Nkemka Patrick Okachi v Sodexo Ireland Limited ADJ-00045306 examines the circumstances under which an employer will be compelled to utilise CCTV footage as part of an investigation and discipl