WRC and Industrial Relations Overview

Since the enactment of the Workplace Relations Act 2015, all employment law claims/disputes, including equality complaints, are referred to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and all appeals to the Labour Court. The industrial relations legal framework is left unchanged by the Workplace Relations Act 2015, other than the changes necessitated by identifying the former Labour Relations Commission as the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

Under the legislation, the functions of Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT), the Labour Court and the Equality Tribunal have been consolidated as part of the reform of the employment rights bodies into two main bodies – a body of first instance, the Workplace Relations Commission and an appellate body, being the newly expanded Labour Court.

Communications and involvement practices are important mechanisms for promoting good employee relations, raising employee engagement, creating a positive workplace and enhancing organisational performance.