The Workplace Relations Act has now been signed into law in the Republic of Ireland. The Act, which is expected to come into force on July 1st 2015, will substantially reform the way in which employment and equality disputes are resolved in Ireland.
Under the Act, a new body called the Workplace Relations Commission will be established. This Commission will merge the services currently provided by the Labour Relations Commission, the National Employment Rights Authority, the Equality Tribunal, the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Labour Court.
The Workplace Relations Commission will deal with any disputes at first instance whilst the Labour Court will deal with cases on appeal. This simplified system will eradicate the current problem of employers having to defend a single claim in a number of different forums and should allow disputes to be resolved more quickly for all parties concerned.
The Act also provides for the standardisation of the limitation periods for the referral of a dispute under any employment or equality law will. The limitation period will be six months — extendable to 12 months where ‘reasonable cause’ can be demonstrated.
Additionally, as part of the reforms, employers may face fines of up to 50,000 euros and even imprisonment for non-compliance with employment and non-discrimination laws.