Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
169. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the practice of an employer requiring employees, who cannot attend their work premises due to Covid-19 restrictions, to reimburse the employer for the cost of couriering work materials such as files to the employee is prohibited under the Payment of Wages Act 1991; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18796/21]
View answerStatutory and contractual employment terms apply in relation to the payment of wages. Failure to pay all or part of the wages due to an employee is considered an unlawful deduction and a complaint can be made under the Payment of Wages Act, 1991.
The Payment of Wages Act 1991 establishes a range of rights for all employees in relation to payment of wages. The Act regulates how wages and salaries are paid and what deductions may be made from same. Under this Act, an employer is not permitted to make deductions from an employee's wages unless the deduction is authorised under the contract of employment, required by statute or is made with the prior written consent of the employee.
If an employee believes that his/her employer has made an unlawful deduction from his/her pay, then s(he) may refer a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission. Complaints should be made using the online complaint form available on workplacerelations.ie. A complaint must be brought within 6 months of the date of the deduction. The time limit may be extended for up to a further 6 months, but only where there is a reasonable cause which prevented the person from bringing the complaint in the normal time limit.
