With much discussion in the media, in the courts and among employers in recent times, in this article we look at the current situation regarding enforcing a compulsory retirement age.   State Pension Age   Since January 1, 2014 the age at which a person is entitled to a State Pension is 66 years. This…

Handling and unravelling the complexity of retirement age in Ireland can be difficult. Retirement age in Ireland can sometimes be unclear.  The usual retirement age up until recently was 65. The general assumption is that retirement age is the same as the state pension age.  This makes sense.   However, the state pension age changed…

With effect from 1 September 2016, new parents (other than the mother of the child) are entitled to paternity leave from employment or self-employment following the birth or adoption of a child.   Subject to eligibility and notification criteria being met, the provisions apply to births and adoptions on or after 1 September 2016.  …

The Conciliation Service of the Labour Court is a useful forum for debate and discussion on an issue where parties enter it in good faith with the aim of achieving an agreed way forward.   The following outlines the procedure which is followed.   Procedure On arrival each party is allocated their own room. The…

The Data Protection Commissioner has made his view clear about the use of CCTV in disciplinary cases and has extensive guidance for data controllers on his website. The following case highlights the difficulties posed in using CCTV in disciplinary cases.   In 2008, the Commissioner received complaints from two employees of the same company regarding…

The 23rd Annual Report of the Data Protection Commissioner contains more insight into the Commissioners looking at unlawful CCTV use in an employee/employer context.   In October 2010, the Commissioner received a complaint from an employee who stated that he considered that his personal privacy was being affected in his workplace through the inappropriate use of…

The 24th annual report of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner highlights an interesting concern which the Office has about the need for Doctors certs to contain ‘Reason for Illness’ information about the employee who is absent from work due to illness.   The comment in the report arises from a complaint the Office…

How do you calculate holiday pay when an employee’s pay is variable or is part fixed and part variable?   Section 20 of the Organisation of Working Time Act (OWTA) governs an employee’s right to pay in respect of their annual leave.   It provides that pay shall:- “be paid at the normal weekly rate…

Are self-employed independent contractor agreements all they seem?   The Revenue Commissioners has, for some years now, been scrutinising arrangements in which people describe themselves as self-employed consultants or “independent contractors”.   Revenue has been looking at the employment status of individuals across a number of sectors to ensure that it is in line with…

You need an employee handbook to communicate your HR policies to employees. It’s an essential document that all employees should receive on commencement of their employment, during induction.   All employees should receive an induction or training in the company’s employee policies and sign an acknowledgment form agreeing to abide by their contents.   Certain…