Courts / Dublin / Report

Worker who believes boss may have closed business and gone to Dubai wins €21k

Date
2024-03-15

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Jennifer Byrne, an administrator with Dublin Car Care Ltd, was awarded over €21,000 by the Workplace Relations Commission after her employer ceased trading and became uncontactable. Ms Byrne, who worked for the company from 2002 to March 2023, claimed statutory redundancy entitlements under the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 and notice pay under the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1994. She alleged that her employer stopped responding to communications in late January 2023, closed the business, and may have left for Dubai. Her pay ceased on 9 March 2023. Adjudicator Eileen Campbell noted that the employer, who had been properly served with notice, did not appear at the hearing. The tribunal found that Dublin Car Care Ltd had ceased trading and that Ms Byrne was redundant. Consequently, the adjudicator ordered a statutory redundancy payment of just over €18,000, subject to confirmation of PRSI contributions by the Department of Social Protection. Additionally, the adjudicator awarded €3,322.48 for eight weeks' notice pay, finding the employer in breach of the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1994. The decision was made at the hearing stage, with the employer absent.