A young man, worried about losing his job, contacted me this week. He only has about 11 months service in the job and was concerned that the employer was getting ready to dismiss him before he had the necessary 12 months service for the protection of unfair dismissal legislation. Let me explain. In order to … Read more
There is no requirement for employees to undergo testing for intoxicants under existing legislation- the SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE AT WORK ACT 2005. Neither is there an obligation on employers to test employees for intoxicants. Section 13 (1) (c) provides for the making of regulations for the testing of employees: (c) if reasonably required by … Read more
The law concerning young workers in employment in Ireland is set out in the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996. The Act aims to protect the health of young workers and to ensure a young person’s education is not put at risk during the school year. The Act provides: Rest intervals and working hours … Read more
Fixed term employees are employed on the same type of contract-either a fixed term contract or a specified purpose contract. A fixed term contract is one where the end date of the contract is known at the outset whereas a specified purpose contract is one which terminates on the occurrence of a specific event or cessation of a … Read more
Part time workers are a major feature of the Irish workplace. And they used to have little or no protection from exploitation or abuse. Not any more. The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act, 2001 offers a considerable degree of protection to part time and casual workers. The principle goals of this legislation are to prevent discrimination … Read more