Barber awarded €1,500 for unpaid annual leave

The Workplace Relations Commission awarded barber Rachid Boudissa €1,500 for three weeks’ unpaid holiday pay, finding he was an employee rather than an independent contractor. The decision, dated 29 February 2024, concerned 15 days of annual leave due when his employment ended. Boudissa said he received no holidays or holiday pay and sought three weeks’ pay. The respondent, Aziz Balooch, did not attend the hearing. The adjudicator found the contractor agreement had not been signed and relied on Boudissa’s evidence and payslip in finding he was an employee. The WRC extended the complaint timeframe to 12 months, finding reasonable cause because Boudissa had not been given a contract when he started work. It found he was entitled to 15 days of unpaid annual leave and awarded three weeks’ pay totalling €1,500.