First published on Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Last updated on Tuesday, June 24, 2025
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.
A €68k lesson in what not to do after maternity leave
A Coca-Cola marketing exec has just won €68,000 after being demoted to what she called “nearly a graduate position” on returning from maternity leave. The WRC agreed, it was a demotion. Her pay stayed the same pay, but her old role had strategic responsibilities and director-level reporting line. The new one? No budget. Fewer responsibilities. No conversation.
The company claimed it was still “working through options”, but the tribunal called it a fait accompli. The kicker? The person covering her leave kept the job.
Business owners, this one is dead simple. When someone returns from maternity leave, you can’t just demote them and hope they’ll go along with it. They’re entitled to return to the same job, or at least an equivalent one. Else you risk a hefty payout and serious damage to morale.
Elon Musk appeals against €550k payout after unfair dismissal claim
Remember that “hardcore” email that Elon Musk sent asking staff to click “yes” if they were in for the new twitter? Well, one Irish exec didn’t, and the WRC says he was unfairly dismissed for it.
Gary Rooney, a long-serving director at Twitter (now X), lost his job after not responding to the now infamous “fork in the road” ultimatum. The company claimed it was a voluntary resignation. The WRC disagreed and awarded him a record €550,131 in compensation.
The payout is now under appeal, with a Labour Court hearing set for late July. But here’s the takeaway: don’t rely on vague opt-ins and assumptions when it comes to exits. If someone hasn’t formally resigned or been formally dismissed, they’re still employed—no matter how many vague hyperlinks you throw their way. To avoid this sort of thing in the future, try our 24/7 HR and health & safety advice service.
12 billion workdays lost to…?
The WHO reckons that 12 billion workdays vanish every year to anxiety and depression. That’s not a typo, 12 billion. Add in burnout (which one in four workers report), and we’re facing a full-blown workplace crisis.
People are feeling disconnected, undervalued, and like their work is pointless. Remote working hasn’t helped as much as some thought it would, nor has the rise of AI.
In my opinion, most of this loss is preventable. Support systems, proper mental health resources, clear recognition, and work-life balance go a long way. Strategically employing an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a sure-fire way to see measurable results straight away.
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!
