Enforcing your Employment Rights

Where you make a complaint that applies to the employment rights generally, the bodies which will enforce those rights have hearings that are less formal than the normal court setting and some of the hearings are held in private

Rights Commissioner

Rights Commissioners are independent officers of the Labour Relations Commission who hear disputes on a wide range of employment rights matters. Apart from disputes under payment of wages legislation, hearings are held in private and the Rights Commissioner will try to reach a settlement if possible. If no such settlement is possible, the Rights Commissioner will make a decision or a recommendation on the case. If you are dissatisfied with the Rights Commissioner’s decision you have the right of appeal, usually to the Employment Appeals Tribunal but in some instances to the Labour Court.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal

The Employment Appeals Tribunal is an independent body set up to provide an informal way for individuals to seek remedies for alleged infringements of their statutory employment rights. It hears a wide range of disputes such as minimum notice, dismissal and redundancy. The tribunal consists of three people. A chairperson who is a practising solicitor of barrister, and one representative each from panels formed by trade unions and employer organisations.