Trainee solicitor ‘paid €5 per hour’ is awarded €22,000

Office

20 July 2021

A trainee solicitor who claimed he was paid the equivalent of €5 an hour at times has been awarded €22,439 against his former employer.

The Labour Court’s Deputy Chairman Louise O’Donnell upheld a ruling by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and found that Imtiaz Ahmed Ranjha of Sky Solicitors did not pay Imtiaz Khan the national minimum wage.

Mr Khan told the Labour Court he worked 50 to 60 hours at the practice.

Ms O’Donnell has ordered Imtiaz Ahmed Ranjha in the style and practice of Sky Solicitors to pay arrears of €22,439 after finding Mr Khan was underpaid that amount by his former employer.

As part of his case under the National Minimum Wages Act 2000, Mr Khan told the Labour Court he emailed his then employer on October 22, 2018 and pointed out that he had not been paid for six months’ work and that some months he was only paid the equivalent of €5 an hour.

He requested that all outstanding wages be paid to him.

Mr Khan provided to the Labour Court a table showing the hours he had worked each month, the amount he was paid and the shortfall.

In her findings rejecting Mr Ranjha’s/Sky Solicitor’s appeal of the WRC ruling, Ms O’Donnell stated the Labour Court accepted the information ­submitted by Mr Khan.

Mr Khan stated that after lectures, he would go to the office and work late into the evening and, at times, at weekends.

A witness for Sky Solicitors said Mr Khan worked only 22 hours a week, but Ms O’Donnell stated that she preferred the evidence of Mr Khan that he was working on average 50 to 60 hours inclusive of his hours at lectures.

Ms O’Donnell said Mr Ranjha had confirmed that he had not kept records of Mr Khan’s hours or rate of pay.

Sky Solicitors told the Labour Court that the court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the claim as Mr Khan was not an employee.

However, if he had been an employee his employment ended on August 31, 2018 and, therefore, his claim was out of time.

This was rejected by the Labour Court.

Follow us for the latest updates & news

Recent News

Northern Ireland exam board boss wins £100,000 settlement

Northern Ireland’s Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has paid a substantial settlement to its former interim chief executive who complained of sex, race and age discrimination and constructive dismissal. The sum paid to Margaret Farragher,...

Catriona Crumlish v Health Service Executive – Court of Appeal

On Oct. 15th, The Court of Appeal upheld the High Court decision against Caitriona Crumlish in her claim against Letterkenny University hospital. The plaintiff alleged that there was a failure to detect and diagnose breast cancer in May 2017 resulting in an alleged...

Recent Articles

Psychological Injury

Nervous Shock I The law allows recovery of damages for so called nervous shock, within certain parameters and subject to limitations.  Nervous shock is the most commonly used legal label for psychiatric or psychological injury. Psychiatric injuries include...

Public Authorities and Negligence

Powers and Duties In broad terms, public authorities are subject to civil liability for negligence and other civil wrongs, in the same way as private individuals and companies.  The State and other public bodies are responsible for the actions and omissions of...

Duty of Care (Part 2)

Limits to Neighbour Principle The famous neighbour principle re-stated the general basis of liability in negligence. It stated, that “you must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your...

Duty of Care (Part 1)

Meaning of Negligence I Negligence is used in a number of senses.  In one sense, it refers to a person’s state of mind.  An act is negligent, where it is done without giving due weight to the risks involved.  A person  (and his state of mind) may...

Join our Panel

You May Also Like...