Labour Court 2025 Annual Report – Caseload Down but Complexity of Cases Increasing

The Labour Court recently published its 2025 Annual Report which revealed that appeals to the court fell by 11% in 2025. This reduction in appeals did not however equate to a reduction in workload, due to increasing complexity and sitting days required to complete some appeals. Against this backdrop, the 2025 Annual Report provides a useful insight into the court’s activity last year including trends in its caseload, the nature of appeals and compliance issues to monitor.

The Labour Court’s Role

The Labour Court is an independent workplace dispute resolution body providing a comprehensive service for the resolution of disputes concerning industrial relations and employments rights.

In industrial relations disputes, the parties to the dispute are expected to give serious consideration to the court’s recommendations.

In employment rights cases, the court hears appeals of Adjudication Officers’ decisions under the various employment law statutes.

Decisions can be referred by either party to the High Court, by way of an appeal on a point of law or by way of judicial review of the proceedings of the court.

The Labour Court’s Activities in 2025

The Labour Court’s core operations in 2025 continued with the work of processing appeals and referrals, from the Workplace Relations Commission; scheduling hearings of the court and publishing the ensuing decisions and recommendations.

There was an 11% decrease in the number of appeals/referrals to the court. However, as noted above, this reduction did not equate to a reduction in workload, due to increasing complexity and sitting days required to complete some appeals.

Of the 992 appeals/referrals received 775 (78%) were appeals of employment rights decisions, and 217 (22%) were referrals under industrial relations legislation. The Labour Court emphasised in the report that while the employment rights cases are more numerous, industrial relations referrals usually have a wider impact, as the outcome can affect numerous workers across multiple sectors.

In 2025, the Labour Court dealt with industrial disputes covering a total of approximately 21,000 workers. This figure rises to more than 90,000 when the court’s role in the making of Employment Regulation Orders is included.

Key Figures

The most common employment rights appeals in 2025 were:

• Unfair dismissals (147 appeals, up from 135 or 9% in 2024);
• Equality/discrimination (151 appeals, down from 159 or 5% in 2024);
• Payment of wages (113 appeals, down from 159 or 29% in 2024); and
• Working time (90 appeals, down from 123 or 27% in 2024).

Among the employment rights cases highlighted in the report were age discrimination appeals, a determination of employment status appeal and an Employee seeking reinstatement following an unfair dismissal which the Labour Court determined to be an inappropriate remedy.

The Labour Court reviewed industrial disputes covering in and around 21,000 workers in 2025. 30% of the industrial relations referrals involved joint referrals of a collective bargaining nature by workers and Employers. These covered a number of issues including pay agreements, re-organisation, and shift cycles.

80^th Anniversary of the Labour Court

The 2025 Annual Report was also noteworthy as it included a ‘look-back’ to the Labour Court’s first decision in October 1946 and other historical references as the body prepares to celebrate its 80^th anniversary in 2026.

Trends to Note in the Labour Court’s 2025 Annual Report

The growing legal complexity of employment rights claims suggests that Organisations need to carefully consider their employment law compliance activity and take appropriate advice in preparing their defence to any Employee claims.

A number of rulings around mandatory retirement ages suggest that these policies will continue to be challenged by Employees. It is important therefore that mandatory retirement ages are objectively justified by a legitimate aim and supported by appropriate documentation. Recent legislative developments in the shape of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act have also introduced a new statutory consent-based framework which will likely increase Employee awareness of their statutory rights and entitlements in this regard.

Appeals in the context of more recent statutory rights are also increasing with appeals under the Sick Leave Act 2022 and the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 being more frequently referred in 2025.

Another notable ruling cited in the report involved the application of the Karshan test to determine employment status in a case dealing with a tripartite relationship. The Labour Court’s focus on this particular appeal highlights that Organisations should continue to review atypical work arrangements to minimise the risk of misclassifying the employment status of contractors.

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