Results 1,581-1,600 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would like the Minister to clarify a matter. Is the directive being specified in relation to the section on flexible arrangements for care or the section on remote working? Is that same directive argument applying to both of those parts?

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To clarify, the Minister mentioned one part of the Bill is transposition of the EU directive. I am just clarifying because there are two areas where the language is used. One is in respect of seeking flexible working arrangements for care and the other is in respect of remote working. I am looking for clarification as to whether the EU directive-motivated section applies to both of those...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to clarify a couple of points. I accept, to a degree, the point on the coherence of the language. I still have concerns on it. I do not accept that my amendments would have in any way inadvertently disadvantaged employees because my amendments solely related to the definition of “needs” in respect of employers and that there be clarity. On flexible working...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----reasons might be better language but we can come back to that again on Report Stage. I withdraw the amendment and reserve the right to reintroduce.

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 31: In page 15, line 14, after “needs” to insert “, relevant to the fulfilling of the employee’s duties,”. I withdraw the amendment and reserve the right to reintroduce on Report Stage.

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 33: In page 15, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following: “(2A) Where an extension under subsection (2) occurs, the employer shall notify the employee in writing of the reasonable grounds upon which such the extension is required.”. I do not see my notes but I will continue anyway. Amendment No. 33 effectively is related to the fact that an...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would disagree that it is not automatic. It is automatic. It simply states the employer may extend the four-week period by a further period, not exceeding eight weeks. It is absolutely at the discretion of the employer to extend it by the extra two months. Simply saying you have informed somebody that you have extended it by two months does not mean it is not an automatic right to...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will speak briefly in favour of Senator Currie's amendments. They demonstrate the fact she has a very good understanding of remote working and how it operates. I do not believe there is the right balance. There are problems with the language in the Bill about the basis on which an employer can withdraw the arrangement. It is very fair to put in the words "reasonable and demonstrable"...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 37: In page 17, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “(1A) Where a termination of a flexible working agreement occurs due to circumstances described in subsection (1)(a), the termination shall only be valid for the period in which such seasonal variations occur and upon the conclusion of that period the flexible working agreement shall...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I addressed the fact that one may end up with people reapplying a one- to three-month period of waiting for a decision, after reapplying, and all the paperwork being done again.This is the kind of measure that is going to make this legislation not work. When things like this are put in legislation, people will apply, they will do it, it will be this whole process, they will get it and then...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A pattern is emerging. Of course not every workplace is suitable for remote working. If we have proper legislation, then reasonable grounds can be shown. I refer to the reasonable and demonstrable language Senator Currie is talking about and the kind of language Senator Sherlock is putting forward in respect of reasonableness as well. If there is a reason why remote working is not...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 48: In page 23, line 29, after “years” to insert “or when the employment ceases”. Amendment No. 48 seeks to include in the proposed amendment to section 29 of the principal Act that where records of medical leave are kept that as well as the three-year limit on the retention of such record, that they would be destroyed when employments...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 49 seeks to include in the proposed amendments that where records of flexible working arrangements are kept as well that the three-year arrangement for the retention of such records that they may be destroyed when employment ceases. It is the same data protection but I have slightly different feelings about amendment No. 49 in that the pattern or outcome of arrangements is...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I accept that concern and retention of records post-employment is the main thing I want to get to rather than the other piece. I am happy to not press the amendment at this point and to come back to it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 49: In page 23, line 31, after “years” to insert “or when the employment ceases”.

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 52 In page 26, line 18, after “not” to insert “, subject to the approval of the employer and the employee,”.

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 53: In page 27, line 15, after “needs” to insert “, relevant to the functioning of his or her business”.

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 57: In page 28, line 13, after “her” to insert “business”.

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 58: In page 28, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following: “(2) Where a termination of a remote working agreement occurs due to circumstances described in subsection (1)(a), the termination shall only be valid for the period in which such seasonal variations occur and upon the conclusion of that period the flexible working agreement shall resume.”.

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 68: In page 34, line 31, after “her” to insert “or their”. I welcome section 34 and think it is inclusive language in recognising women and other persons who may need to avail of the provisions in the section.This is a technical amendment. In order to be consistent with the inclusive framing that has been used, if we were to say "her or...