Irish employment law
Employment is a central focus of our business, with around 100 lawyers in our team. Our UK practice is ‘the most highly nominated European firm’ in research conducted by Who’s Who Legal, with 14 lawyers listed in their Labour, Employment & Benefits 2017 ranking. The lawyers in our Irish practice are ranked in Chambers Europe as leaders in their field. Consistently top-ranked amongst our peers for over a decade, we advise Irish, UK and multinational clients of all sizes, and many of our partners are independently rated as leaders in the field.
Underpinning the success of any business is its people. Meeting the competitive challenges of today’s rapidly changing world can require a radical re-think of the employer/employee relationship, and co-ordinating globally mobile talent can present significant challenges. Nurturing diversity, incentivising key staff and protecting against team defections are all essential to business success.
With so many issues to contend with, our award-winning specialist employment team covers the full range of work – from day-to-day HR support through to advising on the most complex or contentious of disputes. Going far beyond just legal advice, we also support clients with a range of innovative, value-adding services including consultancy, training and flexible legal resourcing to provide senior lawyers in-house to organisations.
You can view some recent blog posts of ours below, and can view more at employment.lewissilkin.ie.
Awards & Recognition
- A pleased client describes our Irish team as ‘very knowledgeable and pragmatic’ (Chambers 2018)
- The head of the Irish team, Siobhra Rush, has been described as ‘responsive, proactive and pragmatic’ as well as ‘solution oriented’
Related items
Ireland: what do the July Stimulus Plan and Programme for Government mean for employers?
29 July 2020This article discusses key measures for employers under the new Irish government’s July Stimulus Plan, plus various commitments under its Programme for Government which could have a significant impact in workplaces.
Síobhra Rush discusses the issues that can arise in remote working in light of the recent announcement by Leo Varadkar of an open consultation by the DBEI in this area
10 July 2020The Government is launching a public consultation process on guidelines for remote working which has seen a significant increase due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The guidelines are intended to address issues arising from remote working including health and safety, employment rights and data protection. Siobhra Rush discusses some of the employment issues that have arisen as a result of the pandemic.
15 Lewis Silkin employment lawyers listed in Who's Who Legal 2020
02 July 2020Lewis Silkin is pleased to announce that 15 lawyers are listed in this year’s edition of Who’s Who Legal 2020: Labour and Employment - more than double the number of UK lawyers listed from any other law firm.
Staffing decisions when reopening workplaces in Ireland - a flowchart
29 May 2020We have produced a useful flowchart which will help employers to decide which employees can return to work as part of the Covid-19 road to recovery.
'Ireland: how we are adapting to Covid-19' Siobhra Rush discusses how we are adjusting to the new working conditions with Future of Work on Newstalk
29 May 2020Siobhra Rush discusses how we are adjusting to the new working conditions at 19.30 minutes.
IRELAND - Coronavirus – FAQs about managing the return to work
13 May 2020These FAQs focus on the employment law issues facing employers as restrictions are eased and more employees can come back to work. They cover health and safety obligations, medical testing, contact tracing, deciding which employees should stay at home and what happens if employees don’t want to return. They also cover adjusting hours and responsibilities.
IRELAND - Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme – planning an exit strategy
06 May 2020The government’s Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme is currently due to end on 17 June 2020. It has provided employers with some important breathing space and there is no question it has saved jobs. But as the end of the scheme draws closer, it is important for employers to start considering their exit plans.
Ireland: Covid-19: Establishing a return to work plan – health and safety considerations
01 May 2020As the Covid-19 crisis begins to ease, employers need to think carefully about how to manage safely the process of returning employees to the workplace. This inbrief summarises the legal landscape and various considerations that employers will need to take into account. The government has suggested that the relaxation of lockdown measures and any return to normal working life will be gradual and implemented on a phased basis. We have seen similar approaches being taken in those countries which are ahead of Ireland and beginning to take such steps.