Unpaid Wages Query.

[Allpartied]

My daughter has just finished up with her employer. She was working part time, about 20 hours a week over the last two years. There were interruptions due to Covid, when the business was closed.
Anyway, the business has gone into voluntary liquidation and the final payslip has been issued. The payslip included a line detailing Annual Leave entitlement, about 11 days. However, the money deposited in her account does not include any annual leave payments and employer is claiming he hasn't got an accurate record of the hours. Despite regular correspondence, he is fudging and not dealing with the issue.
As far as I can see, he has been employing young people, 16-21 and not paying them any annual leave, at any stage of their employment.
Is it worth taking this to the Workplace Relations Commission? It seems a clear breach of the Working Time Act, but I have heard that WRC hearings are very time consuming and don't often result in the worker getting much joy.
Has anyone experienced this kind of reprehensible behaviour from small business employers? And what can people do to get unpaid wages, when the business has ceased trading?

 

[Johnno75]

Raise the issue with the liquidator and put in a claim with them. Along with Revenue and any fixed charge holders (and the liquidator), the employees are among the first to be paid in a liquidation.

 

[Allpartied]

Raise the issue with the liquidator and put in a claim with them. Along with Revenue and any fixed charge holders (and the liquidator), the employees are among the first to be paid in a liquidation.

Thanks. Is there a list of liquidators or contact details for businesses that have been wound up?

 

[Johnno75]

First you can ask the employer who the liquidator is. Failing that, you can do a search on cro.ie against the name of the company and have a look at the recent filings which should include a Form E2 (Appointment of Liquidator). It might cost you a few euro to get a copy downloaded from the website but it might be worth it for you. That’s assuming the company actually appointed a liquidator and the relevant filings are up to date.