WRC rejects Produce Growers Compliance Executive’s claim for an unpaid bonus

The Workplace Relations Commission found that a Produce Growers Compliance Executive’s complaint over an unpaid bonus was not well founded. Adjudication Officer Eugene Hanly dated the decision 23 April 2021. The employee said he was promised a €1,500 bonus at interview and received €500 in Christmas vouchers. Produce Growers disputed that a bonus had been promised, saying bonuses were discretionary and linked to management grades, performance targets and company results. Hanly found there was no bonus provision in the written contract, which the employee accepted without querying. He was also unclear about the bonus entitlement and whether performance criteria related to him personally or to the company. The officer found he had not established a contractual entitlement to the money claimed.