Kostal Ireland ordered to pay €1,277.33 over unlawful wage deduction

The Workplace Relations Commission found that Kostal Ireland made an unlawful deduction from Gabriel Delee’s wages and ordered it to pay €1,277.33 in compensation. The decision was dated 19 May 2023. Delee, a maintenance technician, said his contract did not allow unpaid time away from work and he had not agreed to the deductions. Kostal said reduced working time was needed amid pandemic-related trading and supply problems, and argued that the claimed loss was understated. The adjudicator found the contract did not authorise the unpaid time and that the practice was disputed, rather than an accepted workplace custom. The compensation covers five specified days between 17 May and 5 July 2021, based on gross basic pay. It is subject to statutory deductions and reconciliation of Jobseeker’s Benefit and PUP payments. The parties had agreed that five cases, including Delee’s, would serve as test cases for a larger group of workers’ claims.