People Matter - November 2025
HR Dept
The power of a domestic abuse policy
Do a bit of digging on the subject of domestic abuse and the facts and figures are shocking.
According to Women’s Aid, a charity, 35% of women in Ireland have experienced abuse (psychological, physical and/or sexual) from an intimate partner. The Garda Siochana responded to, on average, 1,250 incidents of domestic abuse every week in 2024. Between 1996 and June 2025 275 women died violently in the Republic of Ireland – 55% of the resolved cases were killed by a partner or ex.
It's far more common than many people would like to imagine; and the workplace may be the main place of sanctuary for those suffering. Few employers, we believe, would stand by and not help if they knew abuse was occurring. But how can you signpost that you will support your staff?
Carefully thinking about how you can help, and then putting it down in a policy is a great place to start. What you include is up to you. We can help you write a bespoke policy.
Some of the areas for consideration include: signposting that affected staff can talk to you or a manager in confidence; allowing flexible working arrangements that help them manage their own situation; publishing details of charities and shelters that offer professional support; reviewing lone working or public facing roles if relevant; and altering payment methods (as abuse often includes imposing financial control).
Going further, train yourself and managers in spotting the signs of domestic abuse. For instance, they should be alert to someone regularly having supposed accidents that result in injury, or changes in behaviour such as no longer contributing or attending events in the way that they used to.
They need to be aware of masking strategies of those being abused, and how to manage sensitive conversations. Sadly, the stigma attached to abuse may mean people are reluctant to talk about it. You need to compassionately give them the space to approach you when they are ready.
If ever you think there is an imminent threat, call 999.
At The HR Dept, we are passionate about helping businesses in this area. We offer training, help with policies and bespoke advice. To find out more, please get in touch.
Mental health first aid in the spotlight
On 10th October it was World Mental Health Day. Did you know you can train up people in your business to assist colleagues struggling with mental health? They are called Mental Health First Aiders.
Not every organisation will have the resources to have a mental health first aider, but where you do, it can have real benefits. According to a Deloitte survey in 2024, there is a 6x ROI on money invested in this area.
Poor mental health is the number one reason for long-term sickness in Ireland. It has ballooned since the pandemic. If you are experiencing staffing problems because of this and do not have a mental health first aider in your business, it is something to look at.
Their role is to spot the early signs of distress, initiate supportive conversations, listen actively and reassure, assess risk where a rapid escalation of support may be needed – say if self-harm occurs or could happen, and signposting appropriate help.
They don’t diagnose conditions or provide therapy, but they can be used as an in-house champion of positive mental health to reduce stigma and make it easier for colleagues to address issues.
Our sister company, The Health & Safety Dept, provides mental health first aid training. Ask us if you would like to find out more.
To mediate or not to mediate?
As with many forms of conflict, mediation may be available to solve a dispute an employee raises with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
In fact, according to the latest WRC figures (for 2024), both the number of complaints raised with them and the number exploring mediation have both grown in the previous 12 months – by 18% and 14% respectively.
The good news is that of those cases that go to mediation, 85% are resolved successfully. This saves the time and cost of going to a full court case as well as being good for privacy. The high success rate shows that it may be a fast-track route to resolution.
Everyone needs to agree to mediation though, and sometimes you or they may just want to have the day in court. Resource constraints at the WRC may also get in the way of effective mediation.
Sometimes, it will be out of your control whether a complaint is raised against you to the WRC. But to optimise your chances of doing everything correctly, consider our Advice Line retained service. It gives you unlimited telephone and email advice for HR matters, and better still, as long as you follow our advice from the outset, it comes with tribunal indemnity insurance to protect you from the repercussions of the WRC being involved.
Back to Black Friday
While most shops start stocking Christmas goods the moment Halloween is over, Black Friday is when the floodgates to the festive season truly open. If you run a retail business or are part of the supply chain, make sure your staffing arrangements are in order before shoppers descend on stores and websites in a frenzy.
Making sure you have adequate numbers of staff is the first point; you don’t want to miss out on trade, or let down customers because you are short staffed. Have you got overtime set up, or access to temping agencies if necessary? That leads us on to the next issue for busy staff: their well-being. Ensure they are trained correctly, have adequate breaks, facilities and time off once the rush subsides.
And going further than well-being, sadly staff safety must also be mentioned. Irate customers, crowd control, not to mention anti-harassment laws – they make it essential that you have delivered the right staff training and other mitigations to your team. Get in touch with us urgently if you do not think you are ready for the imminent rush.
Hangover effect
As we move into the festive season, alcohol consumption tends to go up – not least from work-related events. While we’re all for having a good time, proactive HR can fulfil an important role in ensuring you do not see significant productivity drops the morning after the night before.
In fact, new research from a think tank in the UK suggests a third of Brits have called in sick after a work night out – so not done any work at all; whilst 22% said they have worked with a hangover and 29% have witnessed colleagues being tired/sluggish after drinking.
There are several things that you can do to protect productivity the next day whilst still facilitating fun on a night out. Begin by making sure you set expectations, reminding people that a hangover is not an excuse for sickness absence. Ensure you have a policy which covers alcohol and drug misuse and that everyone is aware of it.
If you are in control of the party, do not wilfully encourage heavy drinking, see that non-alcoholic options are available and that there is a sensible finish time.
And if you still have problems, call us.
Shopping till they drop, whilst on the clock
Have you ever had a problem with employees doing their Christmas shopping online when they are supposed to be working? One boss in the UK fired an employee for shopping during working hours, only for the company to be penalised at an employment tribunal for more than £14,000. That did have more to do with not carrying out a proper investigation and fabricating evidence, though!
Actually, you have every right not to expect staff to be shopping on company time and equipment, although a little leeway may be given, especially if they are good workers. After all, full-time employees spend so much of their waking hours in the workplace.
Decide on what your boundaries are, ensure they are communicated to staff, and if there is a problem, follow required procedures!
