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ESB worker too late to pursue claim seeking €42k in alleged unpaid overtime

Date
2026-07-21
Stage
Hearing Or Decision
Primary locality
Cork City
County
Cork

Summary

An ESB worker has been ruled out of time to pursue a claim for €42,000 in alleged unpaid overtime, according to a tribunal. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found that Peter Lavelle, a training officer, was too late to challenge a 2023 pay policy change at ESB Networks DAC under the Payment of Wages Act 1997. Lavelle's union, Connect, argued that he was short by €42,000 between November 2023 and July 2025 due to a decision to stop paying overtime for travel time. Lavelle had previously received overtime payments for travel to training sites, but this changed in November 2023. ESB management claimed the figures were exaggerated and that the overnight arrangements significantly reduced the need for travel. The tribunal ruled that Lavelle's complaint was out of time and outside its jurisdiction, noting that the ESB had clearly communicated the decision to stop overtime payments for travel in November 2023.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: ESB worker too late to pursue claim seeking €42k in alleged unpaid overtime. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

Why: Mr Lavelle's trade union, Connect, submitted that he was left short by €42,000 between November 2023 and July 2025 because of a "unilateral" decision to stop paying overtime for time spent on the road. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention
Residence

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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