Shane Hearne awarded €10,000 in wages claim

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Shane Hearne secured €10,000 compensation on a complaint under the Payment of Wages Act 1991 against Somnus GSM Limited, which traded as Mattress Mick on the Tramore Road in Waterford. The proceedings were reported on 9 June 2023.

Mr Hearne claimed he was owed €25,442 in wages and commission for work between September 2020 and April 2021, but had received €10,615.84. He said the agreement was for €550 a week net and 2% of all merchandise sales, and that he was never paid the commission.

The company’s payroll manager denied that the agreed commission was 2%, saying managers received 1% of their own sales and 1% of overall store sales. The manager said a problem with Mr Hearne’s Revenue registration led to a decision not to pay him and an agreement to give him a director’s loan. Mr Hearne denied giving himself such a loan.

The company’s solicitor, Mark Walsh, said the commission at issue amounted to €6,500 and that the difference lay in how it was paid. Adjudicating officer Roger McGrath said the absence of documentary evidence left the commission dispute open to disagreement. He said Mr Hearne, as managing director, had a responsibility to ensure pay and commission were documented, and ordered €10,000 compensation.