The Labour Court varied a wage decision and directed Vurzol Dublin West Limited Bluebird Care T/A Bluebird Care Meath to pay Ms Aisling Kehoe €941.53 in underpaid wages after cutting her hourly rate from €15 to €11.50. The Court’s determination was dated 4 February 2021.
The employer said it reduced Kehoe’s pay after discovering she lacked the qualifications for the social care worker role. Kehoe said she had a verbal agreement for €15 an hour and objected to the retrospective reduction.
The Labour Court found the employer had agreed to pay Kehoe €15 an hour, the rate properly payable for the work she performed. It rejected the employer’s arguments that it could correct an error or recover an overpayment by cutting her wages.
The Court calculated the underpayment from 1 July 2019, when the reduction took effect, to 19 August 2019, when Kehoe lodged her complaint. The adjudication officer had awarded €212.80 in wage arrears, €164 in holiday pay and €285 compensation; the Labour Court varied that decision and directed payment of €941.53 for the underpaid wages.