First published on Thursday, May 23, 2024
Last updated on Thursday, May 23, 2024
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.
New guidance from Revenue on employment status
Revenue has published new advice on defining workers’ employment status for tax purposes.
This follows a case last year that ruled Domino’s pizza delivery drivers should be treated as employees, not contractors.
As a result, Revenue published a five-step decision-making structure to help businesses decide whether a worker should be defined as an employee or self-employed.
As an employer, you must make sure the correct taxes are deducted from pay and reported through the PAYE system.
For instant support on this topic, ask our super-fast AI tool Brainbox: What employment status do contractors have?
Vibe check: WRC can’t rule on “notoriously loud” Dublin restaurant
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has decided not to rule on a discrimination claim against a noisy Dublin restaurant this week.
The claim came from a regular with impaired hearing who said staff at the popular venue refused to turn the music down “because of the vibe”.
The claimant said when she accused the venue of being too loud and asked for the music to be turned down, the restaurant manager said no and walked away. She also said she disclosed her hearing impairment, but this fact was later denied by staff at the restaurant.
The WRC decided there was no dispute as the venue, whilst loud, was a licensed premise and that they had no jurisdiction to take the matter further.
As an employer, it’s your duty to prevent and reduce risks to health & safety from exposure to noise at work. For more support, ask Brainbox: When do I need to conduct a noise survey?
Revenue reports all sorts of unusual staff accidents…
A new report on frequent hazards by Revenue has revealed some pretty strange accidents that happened to employees of the Revenue Commission last year…
Revenue staff working at ports and airports have reportedly been: * Deliberately hit by cars * Bitten by dogs * Mildly poisoned after being exposed to carbon monoxide fumes from nail polish
Some might call this bad luck, but having proper risk assessments and hazard reporting can help minimise accidents and incidents in your business.
The cost of getting health & safety wrong can be huge for your business, both from a personal and a financial standpoint.
Catch our on-demand webcast on how to prepare for HSA inspections and get health & safety confident with advice from our experts here.
And that’s a wrap. Tune in bi-weekly for more headlines and make sure you stay ahead of major employment law changes!
