Insights & News

Ireland - Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme – planning an exit strategy

06 May 2020

The government’s Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme is currently due to end on 17 June 2020. It has provided employers with some important breathing space and there is no question it has saved jobs. But as the end of the scheme draws closer, it is important for employers to start considering their exit plans.

Ireland: how to manage a return to business after Covid-19

01 May 2020

Ireland’s lockdown is likely to be extended beyond the 5th May 2020. When it is eventually lifted, measures for a gradual and phased return to the workplace are likely to be imposed, with social-distancing measures remaining in place. You need to start thinking now about how to manage this process.

Ireland: Covid-19: Establishing a return to work plan – health and safety considerations

01 May 2020

As the Covid-19 crisis begins to ease, employers need to think carefully about how to manage safely the process of returning employees to the workplace. This inbrief summarises the legal landscape and various considerations that employers will need to take into account. The government has suggested that the relaxation of lockdown measures and any return to normal working life will be gradual and implemented on a phased basis. We have seen similar approaches being taken in those countries which are ahead of Ireland and beginning to take such steps.

Ireland: Coronavirus - FAQs for employers

16 April 2020

The Coronavirus outbreak is rapidly becoming more widespread, raising numerous issues for businesses. We have prepared a comprehensive set of FAQs setting out guidance on all the main questions we are being asked from employers in Ireland.

Ireland: Changes to Ireland’s Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme announced

16 April 2020

On 15 April 2020, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe announced a further set of changes to the recently introduced Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme in the wake of recent comments in which he accepted there were certain “gaps” in the scheme.

Ireland: The new Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme

25 March 2020

The Irish government has introduced the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme to incentivise employers to retain employees on the payroll where possible (replacing the emergency COVID-19 Employer Refund Scheme). What are the implications for employers?

Ireland: Coronavirus - what Irish employers need to know

12 March 2020

The Coronavirus outbreak throws up numerous employment law issues, including questions about travel, health and safety, pay and risks of discrimination claims.

Ireland: New paid parental leave scheme from 1 November 2019

09 October 2019

The Government has now published the General Scheme for the Parental Leave and Benefit Bill. This provides for paid parental leave benefit, to be used within the first 12 months of a child’s life or 12 months from the date of adoption.

Ireland: Disability case update - Supreme Court clarifies the extent of an employer’s duty to provide reasonable accommodation

20 September 2019

A recent Supreme Court (SC) decision provides clarification on the legal principles to be applied to the question of what measures of “reasonable accommodation” an employer should consider to enable employees with a disability to participate in the workforce.

Ireland: Applying for Irish Citizenship? Do you need to cancel that break to chase the final summer sun?

16 August 2019

On 24 July 2019 the High Court ruled in Roderick Jones v Minister for Justice and Equality that no applicant seeking naturalisation in Ireland can be granted citizenship if they have spent a single day outside of Ireland in the year immediately preceding their citizenship application.

Ireland: Increase in parental leave entitlements from 1 September 2019

31 July 2019

In the latest development of plans to extend parental leave in Ireland, the Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, signed the commencement order for the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019 on 23 July 2019.

Ireland: Luas driver re-engaged as dismissal held to be a disproportionate sanction

25 July 2019

A recent Labour Court decision reminds employers that they could be ordered to re-employ employees they have unfairly dismissed. Employers should also consider whether dismissal is a proportionate response to a disciplinary issue even in situations where the employee admits misconduct and the employer has followed a fair procedure.

Employment benefits - a tool for attracting talent in Ireland?

28 May 2019

Diageo’s recent announcement offering 26 weeks paid parental leave to all employees in Ireland, regardless of gender or sexual orientation or whether they became parents biologically, through adoption or surrogacy, is commendable.

Ireland - Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019 aims to ensure compliance and enforcement

08 May 2019

The measures contained in the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019 (“the Bill”), published on 4 April, show that the Irish Government is taking gender pay gap (“GPG”) reporting seriously. The Bill proposes to introduce various mechanisms, available to different groups of interested parties, designed to ensure that companies and government bodies comply with their GPG reporting obligations.

Adult re-entry visas abolished in Ireland from 13 May

17 April 2019

A welcome announcement from the Minister for Justice and Equality means that from 13 May 2019, visa required nationals who hold a valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) card will no longer need to apply for a re-entry visa to travel back to Ireland. It is sufficient for them to show their IRP/GNIB card for visa purposes.

New Employment Permits Regulations in Ireland

16 April 2019

The Employment Permits (Amendment) Regulations 2019 ('the Regulations') will take effect from 22 April 2019. They will be a welcome relief in certain sectors struggling to fill roles with EEA citizens.

Dublin LS Mixer @ 6 - the in-house network you should be at!

27 March 2019

Lewis Silkin was delighted to host its first Dublin LS Mixer @ 6 this month for in-house counsel working in the creative, innovative and brand centric sectors in Ireland. The mixer is an opportunity for in-house counsel to hear from Lewis Silkin on the burning issues in their industry but also (and more importantly) to network and benchmark with fellow in-house counsel.

"Play the whistle!" - Whistleblowing in Ireland

26 March 2019

It seems that the FAI does not just have to worry about the results on the pitch as the qualification campaign for Euro 2020 kicks off, or the fact that they owed their CEO a significant sum of money (while also paying his rent) some time ago.

"You ate my sandwich" - monitoring employees in the workplace

22 March 2019

I would never give up a meal but I certainly wouldn’t begrudge someone a taste (unless they were a sibling – that’s a different story). I would trust my fellow employees to keep their distance but if my lunch started to disappear daily I’m not sure what I would do - maybe a simple note, a lunch box with a lock, surveillance? – possibly too far but if your employer had to set up CCTV to protect your soup and sandwich, the question arises as to what level of monitoring can be undertaken by an employer and what expectation of privacy do employees have at work?

Jumping on the bandwagon – New Irish law introduced to provide security and predictability of working hours for employees on insecure contracts and those working variable hours

23 January 2019

The President of Ireland Michael D Higgins signed the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018 (“the Act”) into law last month on Christmas Day, although it is not due to come into force until the first week of March. This gives employers some time to consider the changes the Act will implement, time to update working practices, policies and contracts, and time to “jump on the bandwagon” (pun intended – see below).