First published on Thursday, January 22, 2026
Last updated on Thursday, January 22, 2026
Welcome to HR Heartbeat, where we take a look at the week’s most pressing HR and employment law stories. With over a decade of experience as a solicitor working in employment law, I give my opinion on current trends impacting your business, as well as my own personal commentary on all things HR and legal.
Be prepared for employment law changes in 2026
New legislation to support employees is coming in 2026. As employers are congratulating themselves for sorting their auto-enrolment responsibilities by 1 January, there’s more legal compliance to come. If you’re still unsure, read the BrightHR guide to pension auto-enrolment here.
New rules on working after retirement age
The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025 became law on 16 December last year. It allows employees to refuse early retirement and remain in their jobs until age 66 (the qualifying age for the state pension). Formal commencement isn’t expected until later this year, but I’d advise employers to start preparing now. Here are the key points:
If an employee wants to work beyond the age of 66, they’ll need to inform their employer less than a year but more than three months before their scheduled retirement age. Their employer must respond in writing within a month, and if they decline, their reasons must be objective and justified. This ‘objective justification’ could be due to circumstances like health & safety, organisational structure, or succession planning. But, it has to be applied specifically to that individual.
We’ll await clarification in the code of practice, which is due to be published in the coming months. And of course, we’ll update our clients as soon as we can. Looking for more clarification on last year’s legal changes, as well as upcoming obligations in 2026? Keep an eye on our free webinar series on employment law and sign up here.
Job vacancies fell by one sixth in 2025
According to a new report, job vacancies fell by 17% last year. The decline was said to be due to reliance on AI, rising business costs, and the threat of tariffs from the United States.
Although some jobs are said to have been lost due to AI, IT recruitment has seen an increase. AI, automation and the cloud transformation are all areas where recruitment and demand for training have increased.
So, with a larger talent pool, how should businesses position themselves as employers of choice? You could think about the first impression. Up your recruitment game with candidate management tools that’ll impress. The Turbo Talent Navigator from BrightHR is a single hub that helps employers stay on top of applications and speed up the recruitment process. So, candidates have a faster recruitment journey, and you’re on your way to becoming an employer of choice.
Ireland moves up to sixth place in EU for Gender Equality
Ireland ranked sixth in the EU rankings for gender equality in 2025, up three places from the 2024 Gender Equality Index. Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley has welcomed this significant improvement but said there is still work to be done.
In June this year, the EU Pay Transparency Directive will be transposed into Irish law. This will have a significant impact on employers and will apply to all workers, including part-time, fixed term and agency workers.
Employers will have to give pay transparency in job adverts, and must not ask a candidate about their pay history. They’ll have to make information on progression and average pay levels easily accessible. Employers with over 50 staff will also have to report on their gender pay gap.
To keep up with all legislative updates and find out what’s coming in 2026, sign up for our series of free webcasts. You can also watch previous webinars about auto-enrolment, misconduct, seasonal staffing and more.
And that’s a wrap from me. Tune in next time for my take on the latest headlines and employment law stories, helping keep your business ahead!
