WRC finds oyster farm worker entitled to statutory redundancy payment

The Workplace Relations Commission found that oyster farm worker Andrzej Garanin was entitled to statutory redundancy after Woodstown Bay Shellfish Limited laid him off indefinitely during the pandemic and did not bring him back. The decision, dated 9 September 2022, said the emergency measure suspending redundancy claims had been lifted in September 2021 and had not permanently removed employees’ redundancy rights. The company said pandemic losses had caused severe financial difficulties and it understood the emergency measures meant it did not have to pay redundancy at the time. The payment is based on continuous employment from 7 August 2016 to termination on 5 October 2021, with gross weekly pay of €444, subject to Garanin having been in insurable employment during the relevant period.