Employment in the Irish Republic 2006

• Preface
• Visitors’ Guide
  Websites for Ireland
• Contents
• Main employment developments
• Background
  The Irish economy
  Current issues
  Political and legal system
• Overview of regulatory framework for employment
• Main employment statutes
• The labour market

Section 1 – Commencement of employment

• Work permits
  Permit free employment
  Standard work permit
  Working Visas and Work Authorisations
  Employment Permits Bill 2005
• Official notification and workforce consultation
  Workforce consultation
• Anti-discrimination provisions
  Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2004
  Definitions of discrimination
  Harassment and sexual harassment
  Positive action measures
  Victimisation
  Exemptions to the Equality Acts
  The Equality Authority
  Codes of practice
  The Equality Tribunal
  Equal Status Act, 2000
  AIDS and HIV-related discrimination
• Finding the applicant
  The official employment service
  Recruitment agencies
  Temporary recruitment agencies
  Executive search
  The regulation of recruitment agencies
• Job advertisements and the media
  Advertising media
  Internet recruitment
• Graduate recruitment
  Campus recruitment
  Graduate qualifications
  Graduate salaries
• Selection methods
  Interviews and shortlisting
  Pre-employment medical examinations
  Drugs and alcohol testing
• Data protection
  Employee rights of information and access to personal data
  Workplace privacy
  Transferring data abroad

Section 2 – Contracts of employment

• The contract of employment
  Types of employee
  Form of contract
  Trial or probationary period
  Posted workers
  Express and implied terms
  Confidentiality and competition
  Intellectual Property Rights
  Restrictive covenants and non-compete clauses
• Part-time contracts
• Fixed-term workers
  Notification of permanent vacancies and training
• Notice periods
• Transfer of undertakings
  Protection of employment contracts

Section 3 – Termination of employment

• Individual termination of contract
  Resignation
  Termination by mutual agreement
  Definition of dismissal
  Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures
• Dismissal for cause
  Capability, competence and qualifications
  Employee conduct
  Dismissal with notice and summary dismissal
• Dismissal on economic grounds
  Procedure for economic dismissals
• Collective dismissals
  Definition of collective dismissals
  Consultation with employee representatives
  Notification of the authorities
  Penalties
  European Works Council consultation
• Severance payments
  Additional severance payments
  Insolvency
• Unfair Dismissal
  Grounds making a dismissal unfair
  Wrongful dismissal
  Constructive dismissal

Section 4 – Industrial Relations

• Industrial relations
  Tripartite partnership agreements
  Role of foreign multinationals
  The role of the state in industrial relations
  Labour Relations Commission
  The Labour Court
• Trade unions
  Union membership
  Regulation of trade unions
  Trade union recognition and bargaining rights
• Employers’ organisations
  The Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (IBEC)
  The Construction Industry Federation (CIF)
  Other associations
• Levels of bargaining and collective agreements
  National level pay agreements
  Compliance
  Industry level
  Company level
• Employee representation
  Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Act 2006
  Health and safety representation
• European Works Councils
  Employee representatives and the role of trade unions
• Industrial action
  Recent trends
• Conciliation, mediation and arbitration
  Codes of Practice on Disputes Procedures
  The Conciliation Service
  Rights Commissioner Service
  Workplace Mediation Service

Section 5 – Pay and benefits

• Statutory pay determination
  National minimum wage
  Joint Labour Committees
  Joint Industrial Councils
• The law on pay
  The Payment of Wages Act, 1991
  Employer insolvency
• Equal pay and equal treatment
  Employment Equality Acts 1998-2004
  Remedies in equal pay cases
• Main payment systems
  Job evaluation and grading
  Pay increases
  Pay provisions in ‘Towards 2016’ social pact
• Components of pay
  Service increments
  Merit and performance-related pay
  Bonuses
  Share options
  Save as You Earn (SAYE) share option schemes
  Profit-sharing schemes
• Premium pay rates
  Overtime pay
  Shift pay
  Holiday pay
  Pay for public holidays
  Pay for Sunday working
  ‘Zero hours contracts’
• Managerial pay
• Illness benefit, maternity pay, and short-time pay
  Illness benefit
  Maternity benefit
  Short-time/lay-off pay
• Benefits and allowances
  Company Cars
  Mileage allowances
  Travel allowances
  Subsistence allowances
  Meals and meal vouchers
  Childcare costs

Section 6 – Working time and time-off

• Working time
  Maximum weekly working time
  Rest breaks and intervals
  Night work
  Sunday working
  Zero hours contracts
  ‘On call’ duty
  Keeping records
  Penalties
• Short-time working and lay-offs
• Annual leave
  Statutory provisions
  Agreed arrangements
• Public holidays
• Statutory time-off rights
  Maternity leave
  Adoptive leave
  Parental leave
  ‘Force majeure’ or emergency family leave
  Carers’ leave
  Jury service
• Agreed time-off rights
  Bereavement leave
  Marriage leave
  Paternity leave
  Educational leave
  Reserve Defence Forces leave
  Career breaks
  Trade union activities

Section 7 – Retirement and Pensions

• Retirement and pensions
  State pensions
  Company pensions
  Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSA)
  Special Saving Investment Accounts

Section 8 – Other labour costs

• Pay-Related Social insurance contributions
• Private medical insurance

Appendices

1. Consumer prices
2. Earnings and pay rates
3. Work Permit Applications
   Notice from the Dept. of Trade, Enterprise and Employment
   Procedure
   Other requirements
4. Income Tax
   Employee share ownership
   Pensions
   Flexible benefits
5. Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures
6. Labour costs in international comparison

• Organisations
• Employment publishers
• Main sources and references
• Index