WRC awards Chinese chef €154,828 over employment rights breaches

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

The Workplace Relations Commission awarded Xiaofeng Gao €154,828 after finding serious breaches of his employment rights while he worked at a takeaway in Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan. The award included €60,000 for discrimination, €43,582.48 for underpaid wages and €21,922.52 for minimum wage breaches, alongside sums for inadequate breaks, holidays and Sunday or public holiday premiums.

The WRC found that Gao generally worked six to seven days a week, averaging 63 to 73 hours, and was paid below the minimum wage. He had come to Ireland on an employment permit and said he had to repay much of his wages toward a recruitment debt. The adjudicator described the discrimination as very serious and found the complainant’s account persuasive.