Labour and employment law

Advising on complex labour and employment law projects across over 90 countries, EY Law teams support you throughout the entire evolution of your business, helping you to manage the people-related legal aspects of restructuring, mergers, takeovers and all types of business transformation.

Deirdre leads EY Law Ireland’s employment law team, working across all EY service lines to offer clients integrated and seamless solutions.

 

In a disrupted working world, Deirdre advises global multinational and SME clients on strategic workforce planning, workforce restructuring and HR transactions.

Global Labour and Employment Law Strategic Guide

In today’s economic climate, pressure is increasing on organisations to optimise the efficiency of their workforce and associated costs. Failure to properly address workforce issues can expose organisations to various risks, including damage to employee relations, the organisation’s brand and its business relationships. In the latest edition of the EY Global Labour and Employment Law Strategic Guide, we survey the legal landscape regarding Workforce Transformation in 48 jurisdictions worldwide. Take a look at the Guide here.

What EY labour and employment law can do for you

Multinational companies must constantly transform their business operations to compete on the world scene and meet their business objectives. Change today is the only constant.

 

Workforce issues are a significant challenge in these multinational transformations as each country has different labour and employment laws.

 

Now more than ever, companies need to understand labour and employment laws to manage cost and risk, proactively identify potential hurdles, and facilitate efficient, timely and agile application of global or regional projects.

 

Core Client Service Offerings

EY Law practices, working with other EY member firms, have the multi-jurisdictional experience and knowledge to assist corporate leaders, where permitted, in the feasibility, design, application and coordination of transformation projects that span multiple countries. They can field and lead project teams comprising experienced lawyers and project management staff to help complete these business transformations in a timely and cost-efficient manner, while also advising on appropriate compliance with local labour and employment law regulations.

 

EY has ready access to detailed and continually updated information on a country-by-country basis about labour and employment laws and appropriate HR practices. In addition, our project teams can seek support from the EY network of experienced local employment lawyers to validate information or get more detailed advice where it is needed. All this considerably increases the level of coordination and consistency that, together with significantly reduced response time, is a key differentiator in today’s marketplace.

 

The outcome

When restructuring operations or acquiring or selling businesses across borders, assessing feasibility and designing the HR consequences, multinational companies can benefit from the knowledge and experience of EY lawyers across the world.

 

We can give advice on the initial design of the restructuring or business transformation, as well as the entire range of related employment law compliance requirements, which can help you to manage the workforce aspects specific to your business needs and provide better control over the application timeline.

Transparent and predictable working conditions in the EU

   

Bringing the 'S' to Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)

   

Our latest thinking

How will the new Transparent & Predictable Working Conditions Regulations increase employee protection

Deirdre Malone, Head of Employment Law, reviews the EU (Transparent & Predictable Working Conditions) Regulations 2022 and its employee impact.

20 Jan 2023 |Deirdre Malone

How organisations can prepare for the practical implications of Gender Pay Gap reporting

Head of Employment Law, Deirdre Malone, explains some of the practical aspects of the Gender Pay Gap Information Act as organisations across Ireland prepare to publish their reports.

15 Sep 2022 |Deirdre Malone

Further perspectives

Deirdre Malone and Melissa Bosch (EY Ireland’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Country Lead) discuss the steps that businesses can take to promote and retain women in the workplace. Employers can use simple measures from the existing legislative framework to support a fairer and balanced workplace.

 

7 Mar 2024 | Deirdre Malone

Is your business ready for the EU Pay Transparency Directive? This game-changing directive aims to tackle the gender pay gap and promote workplace diversity.

 

Deirdre Malone discusses how to prepare your business for this deadline and bridge the gaps in pay transparency.

 

23 Dec 2023 | Deirdre Malone

What will The Work Life Balance Act mean for employers and what type of flexible working arrangements does the legislation provide?

 

Deirdre Malone shares her insights into these changes and how they will impact remote and flexible working moving forward.

 

28 Nov 2023 | Deirdre Malone

A recent Supreme Court ruling has deemed Domino’s Pizza delivery drivers as employees. What does this case now mean for employers hiring contractors from both an employment tax and law perspective?

 

Deirdre Malone and Michael Rooney discuss this and share the questions businesses need to ask to determine employment status.

 

30 Oct 2023 | Deirdre Malone

The team

Deirdre Malone

Partner, Head of Employment Law, EY Law Ireland

In the news

Because of COVID-19, couple self isolates and works from home. In order to flatten the curve in the coronavirus pandemic, the mid adult couple self isolates and works from home.

16 December 2023: The Workplace Relations Commission issued a first of its kind decision directing an employer to reinstate an employee who passed the employer’s normal retirement age. The employer was held to have discriminated against the employee on the grounds of age for retiring them at 65.

 

EY Law Ireland’s Deirdre Malone, partner and Head of Employment Law discusses some frequently asked questions about retirement from the workplace with Sarah Collins.

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Working from home

01 December 2023: Employers and employees eagerly await the publication of the Work-Life Balance Code of Practice from the Workplace Relations Commission. This Code of Practice will provide support and guidance to employers and employees on how to manage applications to work remotely and/or flexibly (to care for children or other specific people in need of care).

 

EY Law Ireland’s Deirdre Malone, partner and Head of Employment Law answers questions from Joe Dermody on what the new Work-Life Balance legislation will mean for employers and employees.

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27 November 2023: Workers who experience domestic violence (either themselves or a specific group of close contacts) granted right to take up to five days leave with full pay from 27 November 2023.

 

EY Law Ireland’s Deirdre Malone, partner and Head of Employment Law speaks with Pádraig Hoare about how employees can avail of domestic violence leave and how employers should manage this sensitively and in line with government guidance developed with the support of Women’s Aid.

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man researching while standing at table in home library

21 October 2023: The Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision on the test to use to determine the employment status of workers.

 

EY Law Ireland’s Deirdre Malone, partner and Head of Employment Law discusses what this means for business who use independent contractors for services and the potential far-reaching implications for those who should be properly classified as employees with Sarah Collins.

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Working from home

01 April 2023: The new Work Life Balance legislation passed through all stages of the Oireachtas last week. This law will introduce new employee rights around requesting remote and flexible working arrangements, as well as paid domestic violence leave for the first time in Ireland.

 

EY Law Ireland’s Deirdre Malone, partner and Head of Employment Law discusses the new legislation with Brian O’Donovan and confirms that this will be a gamechanger for employee rights in Ireland.

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Close-up of bridge structure

13 July 2022: The guidance in the recent Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 “provides some much-needed clarity for employers which will allow them to finalise preparations for their first rounds of gender pay gap reporting later this year.”

 

In this Irish Times Special Report, EY Law Ireland’s Deirdre Malone, partner and Head of Employment Law discusses the gender pay gap in Ireland and the recent legislation brought in to address reporting in this area.

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Contact EY Law Ireland

Please email us if you have any questions.

 

  

EY Law services are the independent law firm member of Ernst & Young Global. For more information about the global EY organization please visit www.ey.com.