Browse through brief employment and labor law updates from around the globe. Contact a Littler attorney for more information or view our global locations.

View all Q4 2017 Global Guide Quarterly updates

Proposal to Add “Socio-Economic Status” and “Mental Health Status” as Grounds of Prohibited Discrimination

Proposed Bill or Initiative

Authors: Loughlin Deegan, Partner & Stephen Kane, Solicitor — ByrneWallace

Currently, there are two private members’ bills at early stages of the legislative process in the Irish Parliament that propose to create two additional grounds of prohibited discrimination. The bills would prohibit discrimination on grounds of “socio-economic status” and “mental health status” in connection with employment and the provision of services, including the provision of education.

Bill on Gender Pay Gap Information

Proposed Bill or Initiative

Authors: Lorraine Smyth, Partner & Stephen Kane, Solicitor — ByrneWallace

A bill proposes to empower the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to devise a scheme requiring certain employers “to publish information relating to the pay of their employees for the purpose of showing whether there are differences in the pay of male and female employees." As currently drafted, the Scheme will only apply to employers with more than 50 employees and would require relevant employers to publish information in relation to, among others things: (i) the difference between the mean hourly rate of pay of male employees and that of female employees; (ii) the difference between the mean bonus pay paid to male employees and that paid to female employees; (iii) the proportions of male and female employees who are paid bonuses; and (iv) the proportions of male and female employees in the lower, lower to middle, upper middle and upper quartile pay bands.

Proposal to Ban “Zero Hours” Contracts and Introduce “Banded Hours” Contracts

Proposed Bill or Initiative

Authors: Michael Kennedy, Partner & Loughlin Deegan, Partner — ByrneWallace

The recently introduced Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 proposes a ban on zero hours contracts and the introduction of “banded hours” contracts. This is likely to have significant implications for any businesses employing staff on low hours contracts where, in reality, the employee is regularly working more than their contracted hours, and those retailers who hire staff on zero hours contracts, i.e., where the employee is required to be available for work but does not have specified hours of work.