WRC 2024 Annual Report Round Up

The Workplace Relations Commission’s Annual Report showcases recent developments and complaint trends in employment and industrial relations law. Our Employment Law & Benefits team discusses some of the key findings from the 2024 report.

What you need to know

• Increased complaint numbers: The WRC reports an 18% increase in the total number of complaint applications made in 2024.
• Remote working: The report includes among its developments the publication of the Code of Practice on the Right to Request Remote and/or Flexible Working in March 2024.
• Inspections and prosecutions: 5,156 inspections were completed in 2024, leading to the recovery of €2.16 million in unpaid wages for employees.
• Mediation and conciliation services: Conciliation services achieved a success rate of over 85%. The WRC pre-adjudication mediation services saw a 14% rise in cases.
• Digitalisation efforts: The WRC eComplaint form was launched in 2024 to improve accessibility for service users. The second phase of Robotic Process Automation was also introduced.

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Annual Report provides useful insights into the activities of the WRC. For employers, the report highlights:

• Key trends in complaints
• The WRC’s operational developments, and
• Areas of increasing focus for inspections and enforcement.

Understanding these are crucial for ensuring compliance with employment law and promoting positive workplace relations.

Increased complaint numbers and hearings

The report indicates an 18% increase in the total number of complaint applications made to it in 2024, amounting to 7,316 complaint applications. There was also a 5% increase in individual complaints, amounting to 14,890 individual complaints. The most frequent grounds for complaints were:

• Pay (27%)
• Unfair dismissals (15%)
• Discrimination, equality and equal status (14%)
• Working Time and Terms of Employment (9%)

The WRC reports a 6% increase in the number of adjudication hearings offered in 2024 as compared to 2023, with an average of 180 hearings per week.

Remote working

The report includes, among its developments, the publication of the Code of Practice on the Right to Request Remote and/or Flexible Working in March 2024.

For more information see our previous articles:

Right to Request Flexible Working and Remote Working

Remote Working Requests: Top Tips for Employers

Inspections and prosecutions

5,156 inspections were completed by the WRC’s Inspection Service in 2024, leading to the recovery of €2.16 million in unpaid wages for employees. The majority of cases (2,873) were based on risk assessments carried out by the WRC. Sectoral campaigns involved over 1,230 cases and 753 resulted from direct complaints to the inspectorate. Inspection activity, in general, is focused on sectors where a risk of non-compliance has been identified or where previous non-compliance has been detected.

The report breaks down inspection activity and outcomes by employment sector. The below table provides a snapshot of its findings:

The incidence rate of breaches in Food Service Activities (50%) and Beverage Service Activities (55%) is high, compared to some of its counterparts above. The incidence rate in Construction was 27%, in Hotels was 32%, in Hair & Beauty was 41% and in Wholesale and Retail Trade was 34%. The incidence rate in Education was 32%, which is nonetheless significant, given the small number of cases investigated.

Given the high incidence of breaches in the above-listed sectors, employers in Food & Beverage Services, Construction, Hospitality, Hair & Beauty, and Retail Trade should be especially alert to the likelihood of inspections in the coming year.

The report also highlights an increase of 27% in successful prosecutions against employers for breaches of employment law compared to 2023.

Digitalisation efforts

The WRC eComplaint form was launched in September 2024 to improve accessibility for service users. The second phase of Robotic Process Automation was also introduced, aimed at automating the generation of hearing letters from the WRC.

Key takeaways for employers

• Trends in complaints: The rise in complaint numbers across pay, unfair dismissal and discrimination grounds should be noted by employers.
• Conciliation and mediation: The WRC’s conciliation service maintains a high success rate (over 85%) in resolving and preventing collective disputes. Use of the pre-adjudication mediation service has grown over the past year. This highlights the value of alternative dispute resolution in handling employment issues.
• Remote/flexible working compliance: Adhere to the guidance provided in the Code of Practice on Remote and/or Flexible Working.
• Inspections and enforcement: The WRC continues to actively conduct workplace inspections and pursue prosecutions for breaches of employment law. Employers involved in Food & Beverage Service, Hotels, Construction, Hair & Beauty and Retail Trade should be particularly mindful of the possibility of inspections in the coming year. Employers should obtain legal advice to ensure compliance with legal obligations and avoid adverse WRC attention.

For more information and expert advice, please contact our Employment Law & Benefits team.

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other advice.