Are you paying overtime in compliance with recent rulings?
If your company’s employees are working overtime to help you achieve a profitable bottom line, you’re in a…
Ireland Employment Law Changes
Several changes were introduced, effective from March 4th, 2019 The Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018 has introduced several measures designed to protect employees on insecure contracts or working variable hours. Two key changes are summarized below.
Day 5 Statement
Employers must provide employees, in writing, with their core employment terms within 5 days of the start of the employment. The Statement must include:
If the employer fails to provide the Statement or it contains false or misleading information the employee can be entitled to receive up to 4 weeks’ pay in compensation. Failure to provide it is also an offense liable to a fine and/or 12 months imprisonment for officers of the employer.
It is a defense to show that the employer exercised due diligence and took reasonable care.
Zero-Hours Contracts
Except in very limited cases, ‘zero hours’ contracts are prohibited. Employers are no longer able to require employees to be available for work as and when needed without providing an entitlement to a guaranteed band of weekly hours. There is also a minimum payment entitlement for employees on low hours contracts who work less than the hours stated in the contract. This prohibition does not apply to the work of a genuinely casual nature.