Mon Sep 23 17:29:15 UTC 2024: ## Electrician Walks Off National Children’s Hospital Site Over Unpaid Wages
A supervising electrician, Ian Church, has brought a case of constructive dismissal against his former employer, HPL Engineering Services Ltd, after he was allegedly paid €7 less per hour following his return from bereavement leave.
Mr. Church, who was working on the National Children’s Hospital site, claims he was initially paid €33.03 per hour but found his rate reduced to €25.72 on his return from a week of leave taken after his mother-in-law’s passing. Despite numerous attempts to resolve the issue, Mr. Church received no explanation for the pay cut and was repeatedly ignored by HPL management.
The incident is not the first time Mr. Church experienced pay discrepancies with the company. He alleges that his hourly rate was previously lowered by €1 and later reinstated after he raised the issue.
Following the latest pay reduction, Mr. Church informed HPL management of his intention to quit if the issue wasn’t addressed. After receiving no response from his employer, Mr. Church walked off the job, citing his refusal to work for the lower wage.
HPL denies that Mr. Church was constructively dismissed, arguing he did not formally resign. The company maintains that the pay reduction was an error and that Mr. Church should have followed the company’s grievance process.
The Workplace Relations Commission will continue its investigation into the matter and will determine if Mr. Church’s actions constitute a constructive dismissal under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977.
First Piper 