Looking back on 2020, we saw lots of interesting developments across many areas of employment law. However, each of these developments was part of an overarching theme in COVID-19, raising entirely new challenges such as the mass move to remote working, return to work planning and cost-cutting measures. We invite you to revisit our top five most popular briefings and podcasts from 2020 in this update.
1. Implementing Redundancies and Other Cost-Cutting Measure During COVID-19
The Employment, Pensions and Benefits Group shared their insights into the common pitfalls that they see employers running into in implementing redundancies and other cost-cutting measures. The discussion also considered the process and procedure for managing risk in collective redundancies and other cost-cutting measures in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.
Listen to our podcast here.
2. Current Trends in Preparing for the Return to Work
As businesses turn their attention to reopening their workplaces, we asked 250 in-house counsel and HR professionals who participated in our recent COVID-19: Returning to the Workplace webinar for their perspectives on the reopening of their organisations. Participants came from a wide range of businesses in Ireland across various industries. Find out more here.
Listen to our podcast here.
3. COVID-19 Update on Remote Working
Matheson hosted a webinar on remote working which was attended by a large number of employers from various different sectors. During the webinar the participants had an opportunity to take part in a survey and answer questions in relation to working from home, employees moving to another jurisdiction and other topical issues arising out of the pandemic. Find out the main findings of the survey here.
Listen to our podcast here.
4. Brexit and HR - The Implications for Employee Data Transfers and EWCs Converting to Irish Law
On this podcast, Employment partners, Bryan Dunne, Deirdre Crowley and Russell Rochford were joined by Kevin Duffy, former Chairman of the Labour Court and Tom Hayes, Executive Director of the Brussels European Employee Relations Group (BEERG) and Director of European Union Affairs of the HR Policy Association, Washington DC. The webinar looked at different topics that employers are currently preparing for, but arise as an immediate consequence of Brexit. The panellists focused on data transfers outside of the EU post Brexit and on the implications of Brexit for multi-national employers currently operating European Works Councils under UK law and the growing trend amongst UK based EWCs to convert to Irish law. The discussion also looked at some of the practical issues involved in running an EWC under Irish law.
Listen to our podcast here.
5. COVID-19: The next Challenge for Employers - Managing the Vaccine
The recent progress in the COVID-19 vaccine will no doubt raise another round of new and difficult questions for employers. While a vaccine will hopefully mean that workplace shut-downs can be avoided, this might only happen if enough of the labour force take the vaccine.
For further information visit our COVID-19 Insights Centre or find out more about our Employment, Pensions and Benefits team here.