Did you ever read Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens? Dickens introduced a great number of unforgettable characters to the world in this novel about the exploitation of orphan children by ‘the Jew’, Fagin to engage in criminality and picking pockets on the streets of London in the 1830s. In Oliver Twist you had Oliver Twist … Read more
Are you an employer? If you have dismissed an employee you are almost certainly aware that a successful claim against you by your former employee can lead to an award of compensation of up to 2 years’ salary. But did you know that there are 2 other remedies that can be awarded if the employee’s … Read more
The maximum amount that can be awarded in an unfair dismissal case is 2 years’ remuneration (section 7, Unfair Dismissals Act, 1977). I had never seen it awarded until this case, DHL Limited and Michael Coughlan, in which Mr. Coughlan was awarded €72,042.88 by way of compensation. On the 28th July, 2017 the Labour Court … Read more
Are you aware of the range of penalties that are set down in legislation in Ireland for breaches of employment law? There is a large number of statutes/acts dealing with all aspects of employment law in Ireland. These acts cover overnighting from unfair dismissal to working time to payment of wages to health and safety … Read more
Let me tell you a story. Last year a small shop owner in Westmeath, Mick*, faced a claim from a dismissed employee on the grounds of unfair dismissal. The employee, Séamus*, worked for Mick for about 18 months, or so. The background was typical enough. Seámus started off well in the job, full of enthusiasm. … Read more