Labour Court overturns decision upholding Mr Des Carolan’s complaint

The Labour Court overturned an Adjudication Officer’s decision upholding Mr Des Carolan’s complaint against Paragon Ventures Limited T/A Mefs under the Terms of Employment (Information) Acts. The Court issued its determination on 14 October 2020. Carolan said he joined the company as office manager in October 2017 on a promised annual salary of €65,000 plus benefits. He said he received €500 a week until leaving in December. The company denied employing him, saying Stuart Evans had made a separate arrangement and paid him personally. The Court found that the evidence raised suspicion but did not establish an employment relationship on the balance of probabilities. It cited the lack of an employment offer or contract, company payments or direct instructions from the listed director, and noted that Carolan was not named in the insurance records. His claim failed.