An Indian couple who worked for several months without receiving pay have been awarded over €45,000 by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
Crushell & Co Solicitors acted for Anoushka Anilkumar Parmar and Tushar Joshi, who took separate claims against Dublin-based technology company CleanData Limited.
The company began experiencing financial difficulties in September 2021 and requested that the pair work partially without salary to alleviate some of the financial pressure.
Later, from February 2022, the company began to completely withhold pay, again citing financial difficulties. This lasted until both workers resigned in June 2022.
The WRC held that the company had breached the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 and the Payment of Wages Act 1991, awarding a total of €45,788 to the two workers.
Barry Crushell, solicitor for the couple, said: “These cases highlight the vulnerable position many non-national workers, dependent on work permits, find themselves in. Reliant on an employer for their right to reside in the State, they are particularly susceptible to exploitation.
“Although cumulative awards of €45,788 were made against CleanData, sterner sanctions are required against companies that deliberately exploit foreign nationals dependent on work permits.”
If you would like an assessment of a claim, you can use the online form available here without obligation or alternatively you can use the automatic claim calculator.
