Bright Contracts: A Software Package That Has Everything You Need to Create and Manage Your Staff Handbook and Employment Contracts

Online, September 6, 2013 (Newswire.com) - More and more employers are ensuring that they are compliant with the appropriate contractual and legislative requirements by ensuring that employees are provided with appropriate contracts and staff handbooks.

At the same time employees are increasingly aware of their rights to receive appropriate information regarding their employment.

The current economic climate and the ongoing transformation of the employment relations arena does not diminish the fact that employers continue to be responsible for ensuring that employees are provided with comprehensive statements of terms and conditions of employment that are in compliance with both contract and employment law at all times.

There has been ongoing change, and indeed turmoil, in the workplace relations arena in Ireland over the past number of years. This is evidenced by the ongoing reform of workplace relations bodies such as the Labour Relations Commission, the National Employment Rights Authority, the Labour Court and the Employment Appeals Tribunal into the Workplace Relations Commission. This, together with the striking down in the courts of Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) in 2012, and more recently Registered Employment Agreements (REAs) has not deterred the largest reform of this area since the 1940s.

Despite the complexity and size of the proposed changes, the drive to reduce costs for business, to streamline employment practices and to provide employers with assistance to comply with employment rights standards continues to be a key focus of government policy.

In late June 2013 the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D. stated that he intends to bring forward legislation to address the recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down Registered Employment Agreements. This follows previous commitments to introduce other relevant legislation to radically overhaul the JLCs and to set in place new structures to deal with employment issues.

The overall objective of the workplace relations reform programme is to deliver a first-rate workplace relations service and employment rights framework that serves the needs of employers and employees and provides maximum value for money.

The specific objectives include:

Promoting maximum compliance with employment law

Providing a single authoritative source of information on employment law

Ensuring employers and employees understand their respective rights and obligations

Providing access to services within a reasonable time frame

Simplifying access to and navigation of the employment dispute resolution processes

Resolving grievances and disputes as close to the workplace as possible and as early as possible after they arise

Providing credible enforcement and an effective, risk based inspection regime

Providing simple, accessible, independent, fair and timely adjudication as well as means of appeal