Payslips and deductions

Ceistitheoir

Hi all,

I'm new to Boards.ie but a friend of mine suggested I come here to see if I could find out where I stand in relation to my employer.

In the beginning I was given a contract with terms and conditions attached (within the first 2 weeks of starting). Nothing was mentioned in the contract about deductions from my wage for till discrepancies or the like. I was also informed that I would receive commissions for hitting targets. For the first 2 months, despite hitting targets, my employer refused to pay us commissions. I seemed to be the only member of staff to be annoyed with this, but all other employees seemed to have just accepted it as fact, that our employer didn't pay commissions. But at least he didn't make any deductions from our pay.

In the contract it is expressly written that the contract may be changed at any time, following consultation with us, the staff members. However, in February we were told we had to sign off on an addendum to the contract, but each and every attempt to discuss what we were signing was simply dismissed. We were pretty much told that unless we signed the document that we would lose our jobs. So we signed, despite the numerous concerns we had about the document (which included a section which entitled our employer to deduct unspecified amounts out of our wages). What else could we do? It's not like there's many other jobs out there.

The company I work for acts as an agent for a much larger company. Recently I was forced to take a deduction as a result of the incompetence of an employee in the larger company, and not through my own negligence, nor that of my employer. I was not informed in writing of this (a breach of the Payment of Wages Act 1991), just a phone call in which I felt pressurised to take the deduction.

The above Act also specifies that I must receive a payslip together with my wages, or in the case of payment transfer, in advance of my wages. However, I have only received about 8 payslips in 6 months, 4 of which were lumped together in one envelope nearly 2 months after the date of payment (I am paid weekly). I have not received a payslip now in nearly 2 months - the exact timeframe for when deductions have been made from my wages.

I have been financially penalised for the mistakes of others, and for my own mistakes. Although the mistakes I made were not through negligence, simply I was not informed or trained in the correct procedures. I have requested holiday days off, as agreed in my contract, which have been agreed, but when it comes to the day in question I am told it is to be treated as a weekend day, and so not liable for payment.

Can someone tell me if I have any basis for making a legal complaint and, if so, what course of action could I take?

oOjimbobOo

Wow, you really are getting screwed. Id suggest that you contact your local Citizens Information Board. Its disgraceful what an employer can do to employees when jobs are hard to find. Best of luck.

wmpdd3

Call nera, if its a pretty big company they may orgaanise an audit