Conference Chairperson & Opening Remarks

Sue McLoughlin MBA, Founder and Managing Director, StriveToThrive.ie

Key Employment Law Updates for 2025 – Part 1

Speaker: Sharon Dillon Lyons, Barrister at Law, The Law Library

• Expansion of the Employment Permit System & Employment Permits Bill 2022
• Workplace Relations Act 2015 (Fixed Payment Notice) Regulations 2023
• Flexible State Pension Options under the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023
• Parent’s Leave & Benefit Increased to 9 Weeks in August

Key Employment Law Updates for 2025 – Part 2

Speaker: Bernadette Daly, Partner, CC Solicitors

• Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Act 2024
• General Scheme of the Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill 2024
• Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act 2024
• Directive (EU) 2022/2041 on Adequate Minimum Wages
• EU Pay Transparency Directive​ & The Remuneration Information and Pay Transparency Bill 2023​
• Maternity Protection, Employment Equality and Preservation of Certain Records Act 2024

Gender Pay Gap – Crunching the numbers

Speaker: Aoife Newton, Head of Employment and Immigration Law, KPMG Law LLP

• Overview of 2025 requirements
• Mean & Median Results
• Data Requirements & Metrics
• Illustration of Results
• Explaining Gender Pay Gaps
• The Mechanics of Reporting

Surviving a WRC Audit

Speaker: Joe Thompson, HR Consultant, Insight HR

• Understanding the role of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in employer inspections
• Importance of maintaining accurate employment records for compliance
• Overview of the inspection process: from notification to conducting interviews
• Addressing minor and serious non-compliance issues during inspections
• How WRC handles underpayment of wages and legal sanctions for non-cooperation
• The significance of statutory powers, including sharing information with other agencies like Revenue
• Best practices for employers to mitigate risks and ensure compliance

Workplace Investigations, Grievances and Protected Disclosures

Speaker: Rebecca Bowman, Head of Investigations, Insight HR

• Understanding grievance, complaint, and protected disclosure processes, reflecting statutory definitions in policies
• Best practices for conducting workplace investigations: ensuring fairness and procedural transparency
• Recent case law and developments in workplace investigations
• Protecting whistle-blowers: key provisions of the EU Directive 2019/1937 and the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2021
• How to prepare your organisation’s processes for compliance with new legal frameworks
• Legal consequences of mishandling investigations and grievances

Neurodiversity and Invisible Disabilities

Speaker: Dr Áine O’Dea, Director of Radiant Consulting

• Valuing neurodiversity for unique perspectives
• Awareness of invisible disabilities, e.g. ADHD
• Inclusive policies with accommodations and flexibility
• Training teams to reduce stigma
• Neuro-inclusive hiring supports diverse skills

Menopause in the Workplace

Speaker: Breeda Birmingham, Workplace Wellbeing Coach and Menopause Educator

• What are the key components of menopause awareness training for employees?
• How can managers be trained to support team members experiencing menopause?
• What role does inclusive language play in menopause training?
• What practical strategies can training provide for managing menopause symptoms at work?
• How can training help create supportive policies for menopause-related leave and adjustments?
• What resources should menopause training include for continued employee support?

Recent Cases Gone Through the Courts

Speaker: Conor Duff, Barrister at Law, The Law Library

Menopause Additional Resource from Ashleigh Tobin, Health and Mind Coach

• Perimenopause and Menopause Awareness
• Impact of Hormones
• Understanding Perimenopause and Menopause
• Managing Symptoms with B.A.S.I.C.S.
• Long-Term Health Considerations