Ireland IT Employers: New Compliance Inspection Standards to Know in 2026

Hello! The date today is January 10, 2026. Many new work rules started this year in Ireland. IT companies must follow them very carefully. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) will check your company more often now. It is not enough to only have good policies. You must show real proof that you follow the rules. This simple guide uses easy words. It helps IT bosses, HR people, and payroll staff understand the new 2026 rules.

2026 Pay Transparency & The Equality Bill

A new law called the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill brings EU Pay Transparency rules to Ireland. This is a very big change for IT companies. From June 7, 2026, every company in Ireland must follow strict rules about equal pay for equal work or work of equal value.

The “No Secrets” Time in Hiring

Now, WRC officers look carefully at how you hire people. They check these important things:

• Show Salary Range You must write the pay range or starting salary in the job advert. Or you must tell the person before the interview.
• No Salary History Questions You are not allowed to ask: “What is your current salary?” or “What was your last salary?” This is now illegal.
• Fair Rules for Everyone You must prove that pay rises and job promotions use clear rules. These rules must not help one gender more than the other. They should look at skills, experience, and work quality.
• Fix Big Pay Gaps If your Gender Pay Gap report shows more than 5% difference in any group, and you cannot explain it with fair reasons, you must work with worker representatives to check and fix the pay.

Helpful Tip for Checks In 2026, WRC will ask: “Show us how you decide fair pay.” For example, you must prove that a DevOps Engineer and a Senior Data Analyst get fair pay because of their skills — not just because of market prices.

The “Right to Request” Changes (Work-Life Balance)

The right to ask for remote work started in 2024. Now in 2026, the government checks how well this rule works. They collect exact information about when companies say “No” to remote work requests.

Important Rules

• Answer in 1 Month You must reply to a remote work request in 4 weeks. You can take up to 8 weeks only if you give a good reason.
• Good Business Reason You cannot say “We like people in the office.” You must show real proof that remote work will harm a project or work results. Keep written records.
• Right to Disconnect Inspectors now look at messages on Slack, Teams, or email. If you send work messages late at night (like 9 PM) without a real emergency, it can be a problem. Workers have the right to rest and not be contacted after work hours.

AI Rules in Hiring (The EU AI Act)

From August 2, 2026, the EU AI Act says some AI tools are “high-risk” when used for hiring, promotion, or firing people.

Main AI Rules

• Check for AI Bias If you use AI to read CVs, you must have an AI Bias Audit report for 2026. This proves the tool treats all people fairly.
• Human Makes Final Decision A real person must decide who gets the job or who gets a performance plan. AI cannot decide alone.
• Banned Things AI is not allowed to guess feelings or guess things like race or sexual orientation. This rule started in February 2025 and stays very important in 2026.

Many IT companies use AI tools. You must check all of them and keep good papers.

Also Read: New Zealand Cleaning Companies: Employer Compliance Inspection Guide 2026

Pension and Wage Changes (Start of 2026)

From January 1, 2026, the new “My Future Fund” (Auto-Enrolment) started. This means companies must help workers save money for retirement.

Here is a simple list:

• National Minimum Wage: €14.15 per hour
• Auto-Enrolment: Employer pays 1.5% + Employee pays 1.5% of gross pay
• Government adds: 0.5% extra for every €3 paid
• Who must join: Employees aged 23–60 who earn more than €20,000 per year

Payroll teams in IT companies now have extra work to register people and pay the correct amount.

Bogus Self-Employment & IT Contractors

A new EU rule (Platform Workers Directive) will finish in December 2026. It stops companies from calling real employees “independent contractors”.

Important Points

• If You Control the Work If you decide the hours, tools, or how the person works, the law says this person is an employee — not a contractor.
• Karshan Case After the big Domino’s case (Revenue v Karshan), WRC checks contractor agreements very strictly.
• Big Fines If you get it wrong, fines can be €5,000 to €50,000. You may also pay back taxes and social insurance for many years.

Many IT companies use contractors. Check all contracts carefully now.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Next Step for Your Business

Do you want help? I can make a simple “Ireland IT Compliance Readiness Checklist” for you. You can use it to check everything before WRC comes to visit.

Disclaimer: This article is for information and education only. Always check the latest details from official sources like the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) or the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment before making decisions.