WRC recommends sick-pay scheme continue under SIPTU agreement

The WRC recommended that a company continue operating its sick-pay scheme under its agreement with SIPTU, after a warehouse operative challenged his exclusion. The recommendation was dated 15 May 2023. The worker said the company had not clearly explained its decision, had delayed his appeal and had not dealt with his grievance. The company said its discretion to remove employees from the scheme was consistent with its agreement with SIPTU and the Labour Court’s 2011 recommendation. The company said it had paid the worker €40,600 in sick pay over six years. The adjudicator accepted there had been a delay in deciding the appeal but considered it excusable in the circumstances. The adjudicator said a fixed absence threshold could cause hardship and recommended continuing the scheme on the agreed basis.