WRC says self-employed worker cannot pursue unpaid wages claim

The Workplace Relations Commission said it lacked jurisdiction to hear Mr Ahmet Beylen’s complaint that Kiernan Groundworks & Plant Hire owed him €1,257 for work completed in January 2024. In a decision dated 10 June 2024, the WRC found he was self-employed, rather than an employee covered by the Payment of Wages Act. Beylen told the WRC he had not been paid for the work. The company did not attend the hearing or file rebuttal submissions, but the adjudicator proceeded after confirming it had been notified. The adjudicator found Beylen chose when and where to work, could provide services to others and worked on a casual basis. The WRC therefore lacked jurisdiction to hear the wage complaint. The merits were not decided.