First published on Thursday, August 22, 2024
Last updated on Thursday, August 22, 2024
Welcome to HR Heartbeat, where we give you a rundown of the week's top employment law stories. Stay on the pulse of current trends impacting your business, plus get up-to-the-minute commentaries on all things HR and legal.
Dublin pubs would make employee cuts if…
Last week the Low Pay Commission recommended raising basic pay rates by €1 an hour. If approved, this will raise the minimum wage across the country as early as January 2025.
But as reported by RTE, in a recent survey by LVA, more than 1 in 3 pubs in Dublin (36%) would reduce their headcount if the minimum wage increases.
And a huge 96% of pubs surveyed said that Government changes to employment conditions like the planned increase to minimum wage and sick pay, plus the pension auto-enrolment were “too much, too fast”.
As an employer, protecting your business when employment rights change quickly can be tricky. Our free webcasts are packed with advice and guidance on the latest employment law topics. Learn about new laws on flexible working, pension auto-enrolment, and more! Catch the latest webcasts on demand here.
Changes to the wage subsidiary scheme for employees with a disability
Starting April 1, the minimum weekly hours required for employers to qualify for the wage subsidiary scheme has been lowered from 21 to 15 hours.
The scheme aims to encourage the employment of people with disabilities by offering financial incentives to private-sector employers. The basic rate of subsidy is €6.30 an hour and €12,776 per year (based on a 39-hour week).
As stated in the Equality Act (2010) employers are responsible for making any and all reasonable adjustments when employing disabled employees.
You can read more in our guide on disabilities at work. Or for instant advice, just ask Brainbox: What are some legal requirements for employers to ensure equality for disabled workers?
2,221 employers in breach of employment law
WRC’s 2023 annual report found over 2,000 employers were in breach of basic employment laws. Following a total of 6,519 inspections there were 7,862 cases of “contraventions of legislation” found by the WRC.
The report also breaks down the type and number of issues brought to their conciliation, advisory and mediation services. Of which 43% were pay related, 26% were disputes over organisation structure like rosters, shift work and staffing, and 20% were due to changing terms of employment terms and conditions.
Employees can submit complaints to the WRC where they feel an employer has breached their terms of employment. That’s why employers must follow the right advice when changing any particulars within a written statement of terms.
Having round-the-clock employment law support can help you stay in line with regulations and tackle changing employment law with confidence. Learn more about our 24/7 employment law support, BrightAdvice.
And that’s a wrap. Tune in next week for more headlines and make sure you stay ahead of major employment law changes!
