Labour Court upholds €2,000 recommendation to Meath County Council worker

The Labour Court rejected a worker’s appeal and upheld a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation that Meath County Council pay her €2,000 in settlement of a dispute over unpaid work and allowances. The decision was dated 19 July 2011. The worker, who had worked as a school warden and cleaner, said the Council stopped wages and allowances over unsigned timesheets. She said the locations where she worked made it difficult to get her hours signed. The Council said her contract required overtime and travel claims to be authorised in advance, and that she had repeatedly worked overtime without approval. The Rights Commissioner recommended that the worker follow the Council’s rules on authorised overtime and allowances, and that she receive €2,000 for work done without authorisation. The Labour Court found the Commissioner’s findings consistent with the facts and the recommendation reasonable. It disallowed the appeal and affirmed the recommendation. The Court also recommended that the parties meet to clarify the worker’s arrangements and how changes to them would be made.