The Workplace Relations Commission found Raymond Boyle’s complaint against Metropolitan Films International Limited well founded and directed the company to pay him €25,000 compensation for penalisation linked to his dismissal, plus €5,000 for breaches involving successive fixed-term contracts. The decision was dated 15 December 2023.
Boyle worked as a stagehand on the company group’s film and television productions, returning when new production work began. He argued he was not recalled after seeking permanent employment. The company said he worked for separate production companies and that his complaint was out of time. The adjudication officer found his employment was continuous and that his dismissal took effect when he was not recalled in December 2019, so the complaint was timely.
The officer found that the company penalised Boyle after he tried to secure permanent employment, and that it had no legitimate reason for employing him on successive specified-purpose contracts or for failing to provide a written statement of those reasons. The €25,000 and €5,000 awards were not subject to tax, PRSI or USC deductions.