Top 10 Tips in Employment Law for Start Ups and everyone

1. A written employment contract.

You are obliged under the Terms of Employment (Information Act 1994 to furnish a written statement , within the first two months of employment listing the essential terms of employment as stated in the Act. More

2. Do not discriminate

The Employment Equality Acts 1998 and 2004 make it illegal to discriminate on nine grounds More

3. Leave.

This includes Sick leave,Maternity leave, Adoptive leave, Carer's leave, Force Majeure leave,parental leave as well as Annual leave. 

4. Working Hours

The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 deals with the whole area of working hours, rest periods, night work, special hazards work, shift work, maximum working hours. More

5. Holidays

Holidays, Holiday pay, annual leave are all covered in the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997.

For information on how to calculate and arrange it see more

6. Bullying and a safe place to work

Bullying at work is a growing problem. All employers should have procedures in place to deal with it. Having the procedures in place and training the staff in their use can help reduce the chances of bullying occurring. More

7. Transfer of Undertaking.

When the business is taken over, in whole or in part there are legal obligations on the new employer and steps which must be taken. More

8. Unfair Dismissal

Even as a start up you may be faced with having to dismiss a worker. Familiarise yourself with the details of how to dismiss a worker fairly. More

9. Redundancy

As a start up it might seem a bit premature to think about redundancy, however you may be faced with a situation down the road where you have to reduce your workforce in order to protect the business. It is a good idea to know the basics now and avoid expensive mistakes later. More

10. Statutory Employment Records

You are obliged under Irish employment legislation to keep certain minimum records. To find out what these are follow this link

There you have. A top 10 list of employment law areas which are essential for all employers to know. The whole field of employment law in Ireland is complex and can be confusing at times. The Employment Appeals Tribunal in 2013

• received 4,168 cases, disposed of 5,304 and held 1,352 sittings.

• awarded compensation amounting to €5,072,741.04 in 304 unfair dismissal cases.

• Awarded an average of €16,686.65 in compensation

• Ordered re-instatement in 2 cases and re-engagement in a further 10 cases

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