Labour Court refuses Alicja Stadnicka- Szymus’s request to extend appeal deadline

The Labour Court refused Alicja Stadnicka- Szymus’s request to extend the deadline for her Payment of Wages Act appeal against An Garda Siochana. The Court found the appeal was out of time and had no jurisdiction to hear it; the merits were not decided. The Court’s decision was dated 7 December 2023. The appeal deadline was 24 July, but the Court received it on 26 July. Stadnicka- Szymus said she thought the 42-day period began the day after the Adjudication Officer’s decision and that she posted her appeal on 25 July. She also cited summer holidays and waiting for documents. An Garda Siochana argued no exceptional circumstances had prevented a timely appeal. The Court found that posting on 25 July would still have been too late and that the circumstances did not prevent her from appealing within the time limit. The Adjudication Officer had found the original complaint not well founded.