Source: https://www.legal-island.ie/events-ie/employment-equality-law-in-ireland-update-2020/
Timestamp: 2020-08-10 09:11:04
Document Index: 463952306

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'CJEU ', 'CJEU ', 'CJEU ', 'CJEU ']

Introduction and Welcome: Setting the scene and what to expect from the day (Bernadette Treanor, Managing Consultant, Beo Solutions, and former Equality Officer).
Irish Employment Equality Case Law Review 2020: Marguerite Bolger SC provides an overview of this year’s important Irish employment equality cases before the Labour Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and highlights the key lessons for employers and employment law practitioners. Cases include:
Cunningham v Irish Prison Service [2020] IEHC 282 (Disability Discrimination and Reasonable Accommodation)
Reeves & anor and Lennon & anor v Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal & ors [2020] IESC 31 (Constitutional vindication of the severely disabled minor applicants' rights)
M.A.M. (Somalia) v Minister for Justice and Equality and others [2020] IESC 284 (Family Reunification and Refugees)
Coyle v The Labour Court and Blackrock College 2020 IEHC 111 (Permanent v Fixed Term Contract)
A Pharmacy technician v A Pharmacy [2020] ADJ-00022633 (Pregnancy-related dismissal)
Aoife Commons v Dublin City Council [2020] ADJ-00024040 (Equal Pay)
A service user v A public service body [2020] ADJ-00017370 (Equal Status - disability discrimination)
A Support Pharmacist v A Pharmacy Chain [2020] ADJ-00022879 (Family Status and Gender discrimination)
Kathleen Dempsey v The West of Ireland Alzheimer Foundation [2019] ADJ-00014857 (Age and Retirement)
NOTE: Subjects covered in this session may vary from those shown and will focus on the most important Irish cases at October 2020.
Challenging Everyday Racism – Understanding the ‘Psychology of Race’ and Unconscious Bias in Discrimination Cases. David Stephenson BL of Doughty Street Chambers, London, was recommended by Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 as a leading Junior since 2014/15 and was nominated for Employment Junior of the Year in the 2017 Chambers UK Bar Awards. In this session, David explores and explains the psychology of racism and the unconscious bias that lies behind everyday racism in the workplace and society.
Workplace Sexual Harassment in Ireland. According to a recent survey from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, four out of five workers experiencing sexual harassment at work in Ireland do not report the incident to their employer while only one in four of the minority who did report such incidents felt that their complaint was taken seriously and dealt with satisfactorily. Kiwana Ennis BL sets out the issues and pitfalls encountered in the complaint and investigation process in respect to allegations of sexual harassment – including tackling the difficult issue of ensuring that both the complainant and the respondent are treated fairly throughout the process – which may go towards explaining why such a high number of workers do not report the unwanted sexual behaviour to their employer. She also sets out some recommendations that may improve the complaint and investigation process and in turn result in a reduction of the number of incidences.
Summary and Close: Final words from Bernadette Treanor
Welcome to Day 2: Bernadette Treanor welcomes delegates back and summarises learning points from Day 1 of the event
Equality Implications of Covid-19 Part 1: The Unequal Impact of Coronavirus. The coronavirus pandemic has not affected everyone equally. Older people and disabled people were particularly vulnerable and more likely to be seriously infected or die. Pregnant women were also at a higher risk. In cities, in particular, black and ethnic minority people were disproportionately likely to get seriously ill or die than white people, perhaps partly because so many 'BAME' and non-national employees work in health and social care. Are employers prepared for workplace personal injury claims, coupled with discrimination? Younger workers and those in lower paid employment were much more likely to have been laid off or suffered a loss of pay. Plans for gender pay gap legislation were shelved (although they may be revived under the new programme for government). On the upside, so many people worked from home it must now be well-nigh impossible for employers to validly argue that homeworking cannot be a reasonable accommodation for disabled and vulnerable employees. Clíona Kimber SC interprets the equality impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Ireland and sets out the likely employment equality and liability risks faced by employers as a result.
Equality Implications of Covid-19 Part 2: Discrimination by Association - The Latest Equality Battleground in the New Normal. A hitherto little-known (and little used) provision under the Employment Equality Acts is 'discrimination by association'. Discrimination by association happens when a person is treated less favourably simply because they are associated with or connected to another person who comes under the nine grounds. Suppose:
An employee can't return to work because they have child caring responsibilities. Acting against the employee could constitute discrimination by association under the family status ground.
The employee has a family member with a disability or underlying health issue who might be impacted by their return to work in a high risk environment. Acting against the employee could constitute discrimination by association on the disability ground.
Clíona Kimber SC, explains why, in the light of lockdown, homeworking options and the risks to health from Covid-19, claims of associated discrimination are likely to arise when employers refuse to allow flexible working or dismiss employees (or even threaten to dismiss employees), based on their personal circumstances. Clíona also sets out how best to minimise risk and respond to allegations.
Q&A Clíona Kimber SC answers your questions.
Equality Implications of Covid-19 Part 3: Mental Health and Employment and the Role of Disability Discrimination Law. The coronavirus pandemic was a source of obvious distress for most of us. For some, it has caused more than distress and inconvenience – it has caused enough fear and anxiety to push them into a state of mental ill-health sufficient to meet the definition of disabled under the Employment Equality Acts. But employment equality law has had a chequered history in relation to its protection of employees with mental health issues. Cathal McGreal BL sets out how the law has developed over the years and how the impact of Covid-19 is likely to shine a spotlight on this sensitive area.
EU and International Developments: Almost all employment equality rights in Ireland are derived from EU legislation. Therefore, employment equality cases decided at the CJEU have a huge influence on our domestic laws and often set a precedent that must be followed by courts in Ireland. Michelle Ní Longáin, Employment Law Partner, ByrneWallace, provides her annual in-depth analysis of the year’s important European cases and other overseas’ developments in the employment equality field. Cases include:
In NH v Associazione Avvocatura per i diritti LGBTI [2020] CJEU (Case C-507/18) (Equality & Recruitment)
VL v Szpital Kliniczny et al [2020] CJEU (Case C–16/19) AG Opinion: (Discrimination against one group of disabled employees by comparison with the treatment of other disabled employees)
Plus – Is it time for the Irish government to take a leaf out of the UK government's book and review support in the workplace for survivors of domestic abuse? Still on UK matters, August 2020 sees the end of a consultation on departures from retained EU case law by UK courts and tribunals. Might hitherto persuasive case law from the UK cease to have such an effect in Ireland after Brexit?
NOTE: Subjects covered in this session may vary from those shown and will focus on the most important CJEU cases at October 2020.