Labour Court declines home help worker’s claim for earlier car travel expenses

The Labour Court did not recommend that the South Eastern Health Board concede a home help worker’s claim for car travel expenses incurred between 26 September 1996 and 31 December 1999. Its recommendation was dated 3 December 2001. The worker said other home helps had received travel expenses and that she should not be treated less favourably. The Board said those earlier payments were ad hoc and that travel expenses had not formed part of her written terms. It also said it began paying her expenses from 1 January 2000 as a concession. The Court found the earlier payments did not apply generally to all home help carers and noted that a formal payment structure followed an agreement in October 2000. It did not recommend conceding the claim.