WRC recommends €500 voucher after monthly pay dispute

The Workplace Relations Commission recommended that an employer pay an employee a €500 voucher after changing her pay from fortnightly to monthly. The recommendation was dated 23 February 2023. The employee argued that weekly pay was an express contract term and that the employer delayed unreasonably in handling her grievance. The employer said monthly pay would streamline payroll, that it had consulted staff and extended the transition date, and that pandemic pressures contributed to delays. The adjudication officer said monthly pay could improve efficiency but was a significant adjustment for employees used to more frequent pay. She found that delays in the grievance process compounded the employee’s sense that the change had been imposed unilaterally. The dispute was shared by nine employees, each receiving a separate recommendation.