In Brief: What you might have missed in September 2017

Did you miss an important Irish employment law update? Subscriber to the Irish Employment Law Hub find it quick and easy to keep up to date with developments in the world of HR and Employment Law. The Hub is a one-stop-shop for in-depth articles, case law analysis and updates relating specifically to how the law applies in Ireland. It is fully searchable, available 24/7 and has a useful browse by topic function.

In case you missed it… here’s a quick recap of some of this month’s featured topics:

• Government Legislation Programme for Autumn 2017;
• Gender Pay Gap Consultation;
• The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR);
• Lyons v Longford Westmeath ETB [2017] IEHC 272;
• Should employers be permitted to monitor their employees' email and internet usage in the workplace?

Lyons v Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board

Paul Joyce, BL and Senior Policy Analyst at FLAC, reviews the recent High Court decision in Lyons that will have both lawyers and HR practitioners sitting up and paying very close attention. Paul states that although the case concerned the procedures adopted in an alleged case of bullying, the judgment may have potential ramifications for all processes where employers activate disciplinary procedures:
https://www.legal-island.ie/articles/ire/case-law/2017/june/lyons-v-longford-westmeath-education-and-training-board-2017-iehc-272/

Monitoring of Emails

Should employers be permitted to monitor their employees' emails? Is it reasonable for an employer to check whether their employees are completing professional tasks during working hours? Would you consider this a violation of privacy? The case of Bărbulescu v. Romania [2017] ECtHR 61496/08 concerned an employer’s right to monitor the contents of their employees' private electronic communications. Jeanne Kelly and Jennifer O'Neill of LK Shields Solicitors outline the main arguments of the Grand Chamber decision and advise on the practical implications for employers:
https://www.legal-island.ie/articles/ire/features/employment-law/2017/sept/barbulescu-v-romania-email-privacy-in-the-workplace/

Government Legislation Programme for Autumn 2017

The government has announced a programme for autumn 2017 detailing a series of legislative developments and delivering a range of commitments. See the Byrne Wallace Legislative Updater September 2017 for all employment-related developments:
https://www.legal-island.ie/articles/ire/features/byrnewallace-employment-law-legislative-updater/2017/sept/employment-law-legislative-updater--september-2017/

Gender Pay Gap Consultation

A public consultation on tackling the gender pay gap in Ireland was launched recently by Charles Flanagan TD, Minister for Justice and Equality and David Stanton TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration. The consultation paper and details of how to make a submission are available from the Department of Justice and Equality:
https://www.legal-island.ie/articles/ire/features/review/2017/september/review-of-recent-employment-developments-in-ireland-192017/

GDPR

The 25th May 2018 is fast approaching… In this article Deirdre Crowley discusses the legal basis of the GDPR and how the new guidelines will impact businesses; the central issue of consent; the uncertainty of the provision requiring ‘suitable measures to be put in place to safeguard employee data’ and offers priority action points for HR professionals to ensure compliance going forward:
https://www.legal-island.ie/articles/ire/features/hot-topics/2017/sept/gdpr-handling-employee-data-in-the-workplace/

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Annual Review of Employment Law 2017

Have you seen the full programme and speaker line-up for the Annual Review of Employment Law 2017 conference yet? Almost 500 of your peers have already registered to for their annual update... if you're thinking of joining them, you'll need to be quick:

[SOLD OUT] Thursday 2nd November at Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin
Or
[SOLD OUT] Wednesday 15th November at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northwood, Dublin
Or
Thursday 30th November at Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan, Dublin [limited places remaining!]