The Labour Court upheld Gerard Doyle’s public holiday pay complaint in part and disallowed the Revenue Commissioners’ appeal. In its determination dated 19 September 2006, the Court upheld the Rights Commissioner’s decision and confirmed Doyle’s entitlement under the holiday pay regulations from 17 December 2004.
Doyle worked 80% of full-time hours across five days, with Monday and Friday afternoons outside his scheduled hours. He argued that public holidays falling on those afternoons left him short of his entitlement. Revenue said he had received the benefit required by law.
The Court found those afternoons were not paid time off. For Monday or Friday public holidays, it set the entitlement at an average daily rate of one-fifth of weekly pay, less the four hours already paid for that day. Saturday or Sunday holidays carried an entitlement of one-fifth of weekly pay, while a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday holiday entitled him to a paid day off. The Court found Revenue had not properly applied the regulations.