Courts / Ireland / Report

Manager's grievance held up counsellor's pay claim for years in 'extraordinary' case

Summary

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) issued a recommendation in a dispute involving an addiction counsellor, identified as Mr X, and his line manager, Manager C. The WRC described the case as "extraordinary," noting that the worker's pay rises were held up for years due to a power struggle between two managers. Mr X, a psychiatric nurse working as an addiction counsellor since 2017, claimed an acting-up allowance for senior duties. Manager C, an assistant director of nursing, opposed the payment, while a senior manager, Manager A, overruled her decision and ordered Mr X's return to his post in July 2020. Manager C subsequently lodged a grievance against Manager A. The WRC found that Manager C's resistance to the approved payment was rejected at every stage. Adjudicating Officer Janet Hughes recommended that Manager C accept the appeal officer's decision, sign the necessary paperwork, and bring closure to the matter. The WRC highlighted that the employer allowed Manager C's grievance to stall payment for work done, resulting in €30,000 in arrears for Mr X. The Commission stated that the worker was "caught in the middle" of a dispute he did not instigate and had been severely penalised. The employer, a public sector healthcare provider, did not appear for the hearing following two adjournments. The WRC emphasized that any issues with vacancy approval were entirely of the employer's making.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Manager's grievance held up counsellor's pay claim for years in 'extraordinary' case. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• December 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 2020 Other
• July 2020 Other
• September 2017 Other
• 2023-03-28 Publication

Why: Mr X's trade union rep argued that it had been his line manager, Ms C, who first asked him to take on the additional duties in February 2017 and that although it started part-time, it expanded to a full-time role because of the case load. CNI source report

Case subjects

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report