WRC recommends €2,000 after State Agency made unnotified wage deductions

The WRC recommended that A State Agency pay A Social Care Worker €2,000 after making two deductions from her wages without notice or consent while she was on sick leave. The recommendation was dated 16 December 2025. The worker did not dispute the overpayments, which followed a late sick-leave return and an erroneous payment for an out-of-hours shift she had not worked. She said the deductions were made while she was discussing the matter with HR. The employer accepted that it had not given notice. The WRC found the employer had not processed the matter in time or followed its own policies for recovering overpayments. It also accepted that the deductions caused financial strain and that the worker had to use the grievance process to clarify the figures. The employer corrected her sick-leave record and provided further training to managers. The €2,000 recommendation is in full and final settlement of the dispute.