WRC rejects 13 claims against Living Social Europe and Tom Mannion

The Workplace Relations Commission found Ray Gaughran’s 13 complaints against Living Social Europe Limited and Tom Mannion not well founded, ruling that he was not an employee of either respondent. The decision was dated 3 May 2022. Gaughran said he had worked as a night porter, first naming Living Social Europe Limited and later identifying Mannion as his employer. Mannion described an informal live-in caretaker arrangement, with bed and board and a weekly cash fee that rose from €50 to €100. The officer found the evidence did not support a contract of employment. The complaints concerned alleged unpaid minimum pay, Sunday compensation, notice pay, annual leave, public holidays, employment-order rates and written terms, as well as working-time rules for civil aviation and road transport. Gaughran could not explain which Employment Regulation Order or Sectoral Employment Order applied to two of his claims, and said some holiday and transport complaints may have been submitted in error. He also told the hearing he was not involved in civil aviation or mobile road transport. Because the officer found no employment relationship, the statutory workplace rights cited in the claims did not apply. All 13 complaints were declared not well founded, and no award was recorded.