WRC rejects bonus and tool allowance complaints against Hickey Fabrication Service

The Workplace Relations Commission found that Hickey Fabrication Service did not breach the Payment of Wages Act by withholding a Christmas bonus from Martin Currams during long-term sick leave or by treating a tool allowance as an expense. The decision was dated 5 November 2024. Both complaints were not well founded. Currams argued that his contract provided for a twice-yearly bonus and that the tool allowance was established by custom and practice. The employer said no bonus was due during his long-term absence and the tool allowance had been paid as a goodwill gesture. The adjudication officer found the agreement did not require a bonus during prolonged sick leave. The allowance for replacing worn tools covered work expenses, which are excluded from the Act’s definition of wages.