Labour Court says HSE West staff owe no repayment on responsibility allowance

The Labour Court concluded that seven HSE West Finance Department employees owed no repayment for responsibility allowance they had received, and recommended that their roles be submitted to the national job evaluation process as a priority. The recommendation was signed on 1 November 2016. The Irish Municipal, Public And Civil Trade Union said management had unilaterally discontinued an allowance paid to members who took on duties associated with a higher grade. HSE West said the allowance had ceased in 2012 after a government review and was inappropriate for the group. Payments stopped on 28 May 2015 after they failed to comply with regulations. The Court said senior management had sanctioned and approved the payments, so they could not accurately be described as overpayments.