Apply Irish employment law with confidence through expert guidance, current case law and practical workplace scenarios.

Turn employment law knowledge into confident workplace decisions

Employment law challenges rarely arrive as straightforward legal questions. They arise through difficult conversations, performance concerns, complaints, investigations and organisational change, often requiring HR professionals to balance legal obligations, fair procedures and business needs.

Building on the success of the CIPD Ireland Employment Law Conference in May, supported by Adare People Partners, this practical one-day course will help you navigate these challenges with greater clarity and confidence.

Delivered by Katie Ridge, Barrister-at-Law, Head of Employer Relations at Adare People Partners, the course combines expert guidance with realistic workplace scenarios, recent case law and facilitated discussion. You’ll explore not only what the law requires, but how to apply it fairly and effectively in everyday HR practice.

Course information

Date: Tuesday, 29 September 2026

Time: 9.30am–4.00pm

Format: One-day, in-person

Location: CIPD in Ireland office, A3 The Locks, Charlotte Quay Docks, Dublin 4

Member benefit: CIPD members receive a 15% discount

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for HR professionals who advise managers, support employee relations matters or make decisions that carry employment law implications.

It is particularly relevant for:

HR generalists and HR business partners

HR and employee relations managers

People managers with responsibility for workplace matters

People professionals with approximately three to five years’ experience

Practitioners looking to refresh or strengthen their employment law knowledge

Some previous experience of handling employment law or employee relations matters will help you get the most from the day.

What will you gain?

By the end of the course, you’ll be better equipped to:

Recognise the legal principles that underpin common employee relations situations

Understand recent developments in Irish employment law and their workplace implications

Distinguish between capability, performance and misconduct

Apply natural justice and fair procedures during investigations, disciplinary processes and grievances

Respond appropriately to equality, dignity and respect matters

Manage redundancy and employee exits while reducing legal risk

Draw practical lessons from recent WRC and Labour Court decisions

Provide managers with clear, balanced and legally informed advice

Course content

Module 1: The Irish Employment Law Landscape

Begin with a focused overview of the foundations and current direction of Irish employment law.

Topics include:

Current trends and recent legal developments

Employment contracts as the basis of the employment relationship

Express and implied contractual obligations

Module 2: Managing Performance and Conduct

Explore how to manage performance and conduct concerns within a fair and legally compliant framework.

Topics include:

Performance management within a legal framework

Capability versus misconduct

Workplace investigations

Disciplinary procedures

Grievance management

Natural justice and fair procedures

Module 3: Equality, Dignity and Respect at Work

Strengthen your ability to recognise and respond to sensitive workplace matters appropriately.

Topics include:

Equality legislation and protected grounds

Reasonable accommodation

Harassment and sexual harassment

Bullying and workplace investigations

Inclusive workplace practices

Managing sensitive complaints

Module 4: Redundancy and Employee Exits

Understand the legal and practical considerations involved in redundancy and other employee exits.

Topics include:

Managing redundancy processes

Settlement agreements

Notice obligations

Exit processes that reduce legal risk

Module 5: Employment Law in Practice

Conclude the day with a focused look at selected contemporary employment law issues and recent WRC and Labour Court decisions.

You’ll consider what these decisions mean for employers and how their lessons can be applied to HR policies, processes and workplace decision-making.

What to expect

This is an interactive course designed to move beyond legal theory.

You’ll work through case studies based on realistic Irish employment scenarios, take part in practical decision-making exercises and discuss different approaches with other HR professionals.

You’ll also be encouraged to bring anonymised workplace challenges for discussion in a supportive learning environment. This will help you connect the content directly to the situations you encounter in your role.

The small-group format will provide space to ask questions, share experiences and learn from both the facilitator and your peers

Your facilitator

Katie Ridge

Head of Employer Relations, Adare People Partners

Katie will provide expert guidance on the legal principles covered throughout the day and help participants translate them into practical, fair and

Description supplied by the event organiser.