Dismissed: Use of Social Media in the Workplace

Posted in: Eversheds HR Speed Brief on 07/10/2015 The tremendous growth in the use of social media has led to a number of workplace issues concerning inappropriate online comments made by employees about other colleagues and/or their employer. This year, in The British Waterways Board v Smith, the UK Employment Appeal Tribunal (“EAT”) upheld the e...

What's New in Employment Permits?

Posted in: Eversheds HR Speed Brief on 23/06/2015 Julie Galbraith writes on employment permits and ‘The New Trusted Partner Registration Scheme’. In the Action Plan for Jobs 2015 published by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Minister Richard Bruton introduced measures intended to reduce administrative burdens on employers. One su...

Employers' Duties Regarding the Safety of Work Equipment Provided to Employees

Posted in: Eversheds HR Speed Brief on 27/03/2015 Anna Broderick writes on a recent Supreme Court decision which will be of interest to employers in the context of their duties regarding the safety of work equipment provided to employees.The recent Supreme Court decision of Thompson v Dublin Bus (2015) has clarified that employers’ duties in relat...

Discrimination in the Workplace - Proselytising & Obesity

Posted in: Eversheds HR Speed Brief on 12/03/2015 Anna Broderick writes on two recent cases which will be of interest to employers in the context of potential discrimination claims, one on the grounds of religion and the second on whether obesity is a disability.Proselythising in the Workplace In McAteer v South Tipperary County Council (2014), th...

The Certainty of Tax

Posted in: Eversheds HR Speed Brief on 30/01/2015 Tax treatment of court orders under the Employment Permits Act Following on from our December article on the case of Hussein v The Labour Court and the Employment Permits (Amendment) Act 2014 (the “2014 Act”), the Revenue Commissioners have now provided guidance on the tax treatment of court orders...

The Aftermath of Hussein and the new Employment Permits Act

Posted in: Eversheds HR Speed Brief on 22/12/2014 The 2012 case of Hussein v The Labour Court & Anor brought the issue of illegal and unenforceable contracts to the fore and resulted in the law failing to protect a vulnerable migrant worker. However, as a result of this case, the Employment Permits Acts (the “Act”) have been amended. The Acts ...

Handling Personal Information

Posted in: Eversheds HR Speed Brief on 25/11/2014 Personal Liability A recent Court decision has highlighted the importance of handling personal data in a manner compatible with data protection law. A private investigator firm, MCK Rentals Ltd, was prosecuted in Bray District Court last month for obtaining information without the prior consent of ...

The Importance of Proportionate Decision Making

Posted in: Eversheds HR Speed Brief on 07/11/2014 Recent Case Law on Deciding on Appropriate Sanctions for Employees Two recent cases have highlighted the importance of fair procedures and proportionality in dealing with employee discipline, particularly in making the decision as to whether to dismiss an employee. They also highlight how other con...

New Case Law on the Use of Restrictive Covenants

Posted in: Eversheds HR Speed Brief on 26/09/2014 Levinwick Limited v Patrick Hollingsworth 4 July 2014 Restrictive covenants in contracts of employment are intended to operate as a security for employers who wish to protect their commercial interests. The intention is often to seek to prevent departing employees using inside information or solici...

The Protected Disclosures Act 2014: An employers guide

Posted in: Eversheds HR Speed Brief on 26/08/2014 Legislation seeks to provide protection against penalisation for employees who report wrongdoing. While this legislation is aimed at protecting employees, encouraging whistleblowers to make disclosures can also be of benefit to employers. Whistleblowers can assist in uncovering wrongdoing within th...