The EU Whistleblowing Directive creates new obligations for organisations, just signed into Irish law this year. This is an important time for Cii members to review their whistleblowing procedures and ensure they are in line with best practice.

We will cover the following: 

• Expansion of the definition of “worker” i.e. the group of protected people under the law, to include volunteers, consultants, agency workers;
• A new, wider definition of "penalisation";
• Amendments to the list of “relevant wrongdoings”;
• A new obligation on the private employers to establish internal reporting procedures;
• New timelines and confidentiality obligations as part of the internal reporting procedures;
• A widening of the scope for employees to seek interim relief / injunctions;
• Reversal of the burden of proof onto the employer.

About our speaker:

Breda O’Malley, Partner, Head of Employment - Hayes Solicitors LLP

Breda has specialised as a solicitor in the area of employment law for 27 years.  Breda leads the Employment Law team at Hayes solicitors. She advises both employers and employees on all aspects of the employment relationship. Breda advises clients in a range of sectors from multinational corporations and large public entities to domestic Irish businesses, charities and private clients.

Her trademark is that she adopts a commercially pragmatic approach to dispute issues, avoiding litigation for her clients where appropriate, and using her skills as an accredited commercial mediator.

Breda regularly features on Irish national radio to provide insights on a range of employment law issues. Repeatedly, she is praised by clients for ‘digging deep’ on their behalf and going the extra mile.