I Network

Some of Ireland’s largest employers improved their competitiveness by avoiding €60 million in energy costs during 2008.

The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Mr Eamon Ryan, announced the news at the Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) global conference on energy management in Farmleigh, Dublin.

The global conference included energy experts from over 20 countries including the US, Japan, Italy and Finland. At the conference more was learnt about the success of Ireland’s large enterprises in driving substantial energy efficiencies through implementing Ireland’s Energy Management Standard.

The following companies are amongst the 122 members of SEI’s Large Energy Network (LIEN) who reduced their energy costs by €60 million in 2008:

• Intel
• Diageo
• Pfizer
• Glanbia

At the conference, Minister Ryan stated that:

“Ireland’s large enterprises are developing innovative energy solutions and moving towards exporting their energy expertise. This is vital to developing the green economy and supporting jobs and innovative industry into the future. It also builds upon Ireland’s foundation as a leader in the area of energy management, which we are delighted to share with our international colleagues attending today’s conference in Farmleigh.”

The SEI’s LIEN programme has been in place for 15 years and participants include over 60% of Ireland’s industrial energy use and collectively had energy costs in excess of €1 billion in 2008.

As my first article for I Network and with the October bank holiday just passed, I thought it would be useful to remind you about how public holiday entitlement applies to employees, as determined by the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997.

Full time employees have an immediate entitlement to public holidays from the first day of employment, whilst part-time employees must have worked at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks preceding the public holiday to benefit.

There is no automatic right to have the day of a public holiday off and employees may be required to work on public holidays. In terms of compensation, it is up to the employer to decide which of the following should apply:

1. A paid day off on the public holiday;
2. A paid day off within a month of the public holiday;
3. An additional days annual leave; or
4. An additional days pay.

Where a public holiday falls on a day that an employee normally works, one of the above will apply. If a public holiday falls on a day on which an employees does not normally work, they are entitled to one fifth of their normal weekly wage, in respect of the public holiday.

It should also be noted that employees who leave employment in the week before a public holiday falls may also be entitled to receive pay for the public holiday.

Under the Organisation of Working Time Act, employers are required to retain records for a period of 3 years to prove that they have granted employees appropriate public holiday entitlement and can face compensation awards of up to 2 years remuneration for non compliance.

If you require further information about public holiday entitlement, please contact Carmel Murphy on (071)9642748.