The Workplace Relations Commission found three complaints by ESB Networks Network Technician Liam O'Grady not well-founded, ruling that a new timesheet app changed work practices but not his employment terms, and that delayed payments were not an unlawful wage deduction.
In a decision dated 13 December 2022, the WRC considered O'Grady’s claims that ESB Networks’ move from paper timesheets to its MyTime app led to delayed overtime and allowance payments, and that the delays were linked to his Independent Workers’ Union membership. The company said manual processing delayed payments for workers who continued to submit paper timesheets, regardless of union membership.
The WRC found no causal link between the payment delays and O'Grady’s union membership, attributing them to his refusal to use MyTime. It also found that ESB Networks had changed work practices, not his terms and conditions. Considering only the six months before the complaint was received, the WRC noted that O'Grady received €565.74 on 18 March 2022 and found the delay was not an unlawful deduction.