HR Heartbeat: Meat factory faces beef in WRC discrimination claim, new maternity leave rights, and…

Get your HR headlines in a hurry and stay on top of all the latest employment insights.

Welcome to HR Heartbeat, where we give you a rundown of the week's top employment law stories. Stay on the pulse of current trends impacting your business, plus get up-to-the-minute commentaries on all things HR and legal.

Government approves plan to allow ill women to defer maternity leave

Women undergoing treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses will be able to postpone their maternity leave by up to 52 weeks.

The legislation has been fast-tracked by the Green party leader and is expected (although not guaranteed) to come into place in September.

Interestingly, in the Paternity Act men can defer their leave if they are unwell following the birth of their child but there’s currently no legislation in place for mothers. This new proposal seeks to make the rules fair and equal for both partners.

As an employer, it’s important you prepare for any changes to parental leave by updating your policies and clearly communicating any changes to your employees.

Meat factory faces beef in WRC discrimination claim

A worker at a meat factory was recently awarded €15,000 in compensation under the Employment Equality Act 1998 for discrimination after he was dismissed because of a back injury.

In 2020 the worker alleged the company’s health & safety procedures were neglected and that on several occasions burgers were dropped and then put back on the package line.

The company called the burger handling allegations false and following a dispute over whether the employee had injured their back at work or home, the worker was let go but told they could reapply for the position.

The WRC concluded the company failed to examine reasonable accommodations for the employee’s disability and awarded the employee compensation for discrimination. Take note: It’s important to remember that employers have a duty of care to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees.

For more instant advice on this topic ask Brainbox: What is an example of a reasonable accommodation?

How to help employees (really) switch off from work this summer

For many working parents, planning family holidays can be a stressful time. With schools breaking up there are lots of ways employers can support their staff through this busy time both personally and professionally.

Firstly, building a healthy work culture with a positive annual leave process, flexible working options, and offering time off for dependents are all effective ways to help.

While there is no formal right to disconnect in Ireland, if your employees do decide to take annual leave over the summer, you can implement right-to-disconnect policies that encourage your staff to switch off from work outside of work. This can go a long way to improving employee wellbeing and subsequently satisfaction and retention rates.

For more advice on this topic ask Brainbox: What should I include in a right to disconnect policy?

And that’s a wrap. Tune in next week for more headlines and make sure you stay ahead of major employment law changes!