The Workplace Relations Commission awarded musician Matthew McGranaghan €26,880 for unfair dismissal after finding he was an employee of Mepc Music Limited. The decision was dated 15 August 2024.
McGranaghan said he was entitled to employment rights; the company argued he was an independent contractor and that his claims were out of time. The adjudicator found that regular gigs, personal fiddle-playing services and the company’s direction over his work supported employee status, and that his complaints were within the time limit.
The WRC also upheld complaints over Sunday work, notice pay, annual leave, public holidays and written employment terms. It awarded €1,000 for Sunday work, €4,480 in notice pay, €5,000 for annual leave, €1,500 for public holidays and €500 for the written terms complaints. The unfair dismissal award represented six months’ salary. In plain terms, the decision found the company had ended his employment by email without a dismissal process.