Key Insights from the 2025 WRC Annual Report

The 2025 Annual Report of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) reflects a marked increase in enforcement activity and demand for employment dispute resolution services.

Some of the most notable findings from this year’s report included:

Increased Inspection and Enforcement Activity

The WRC concluded 5,145 inspection cases in 2025, identifying breaches of employment law in 1,775 instances. These inspections involved 5,596 workplace visits and resulted in 6,571 contraventions. While most Employers were compliant or rectified issues during the inspection process, non-compliance continued to result in enforcement action.

Prosecution activity increased significantly, with 223 cases brought before the courts in 2025 representing an increase of 27.5% on the previous year. Of these, 183 prosecutions were successful, representing an 82% success rate.

Recovery of Unpaid Wages

The WRC Inspectorate recovered €1,578,924 in unpaid wages in 2025.

Codes of Practice

The WRC completed a review of the Code of Practice on Access to Part-Time Working (S.I. No.8 of 2006) and made its recommendations to the Minister during 2025. The updated Code was published in February 2026.

Use of AI in Legal Proceedings

To reflect a growing trend of parties using AI to draft submissions and to highlight the need for human oversight to safeguard against risks, the Legal Division published a Guide on Use of AI before the WRC.

Breakdown of Complaints Received

Over the course of 2025, the WRC received 10,559 Complaint Applications representing 19,068 individual complaints, which is an average of 2 individual/ specific complaints per complaint application. This represents a 44% increase of Complaint Applications whilst the individual complaints increased by 28% compared to 2024 as a Complainant can make more than one complaint on a Complaint Application.

Of the 19,068 specific complaints in 2025:

• 26% relate to Pay issues
• 17% relate to Unfair Dismissal
• 14% relate to Discrimination/Equality/Equal Status
• 9% relate to Terms and Conditions of Employment
• 8% relate to Working Time
• 8% relate to Trade Disputes/IR issues

Referrals Under the Employment Equality Act

In 2025, 1,492 complaints were referred under the Employment Equality legislation citing 1,995 grounds of discrimination (more than one ground of discrimination can be made on the individual complaint). This was an increase of 30% on complaints received compared to 2024. Disability, Race and Gender remained the three most frequently cited grounds in complaints referred under the Employment Equality Act to the WRC. The Disability ground accounted for the highest proportion of referrals at 31%, marking a 52% increase on 2024. This was followed by Gender (20%) and Race (19%).

Key Compliance Priorities for Organisations

The 2025 report from the Workplace Relations Commission highlights three primary areas of risk: pay, unfair dismissal, and employment equality.

Pay issues remain the most common source of complaints (26%) and continue to drive enforcement activity, highlighting the need for accurate payroll practices and proper record-keeping. Unfair dismissal (17%) also remains a significant employment law risk with procedural fairness and thorough documentation of fair processes remaining critical to successfully defend claims.

Employment equality is a growing risk area, with complaints up 30%. In particular, disability discrimination has emerged as the leading ground, accounting for 31% of cases and increasing sharply year-on-year.

Employers should prioritise compliance in these areas through robust pay practices, fair dismissal procedures, and a proactive approach to equality, especially in managing disability and reasonable accommodation.

How We Can Support Your Pay Transparency Journey

Should you require advice and guidance, the experienced Reward Consultants in Adare can support you. For further information, please contact Neil McCormack nmccormack@adarehrm.ie today.