Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Wage Deductions

Options
  • 24-07-2012 12:51pm
    #1
    lovelabel
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭


    Just a few questions I'd like to ask, hopefully someone will have some answers.

    First of all in the place I work we get deducted 3.00 euro every week to cover the costs of our uniform. I'm fairly sure this isn't right in the first place as I think the employer cant make a profit off deductions?

    As well as this, 50 cent is deducted per every working hour to cover the cost of employee food (its a fast food company) even if you don't eat the food. Is this legal?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Predalien
    Closed Accounts Posts: 946 ✭✭✭Predalien


    You are correct on both, they can deduct for uniform but the cost should not exceed the cost of the service. As for the food, I would not consider this a fair and reasonable deduction as the service may not be availed of, so there should be an opt-out available for staff that don't want food.


  • Options
    #3
    lovelabel
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭lovelabel


    I've read up on this in regards to the relevant legislation and that was my thinking, but Im looking to see whether this is actually a valid case to bring? I have also researched other fast food restaurants and leanred they do not charge staff for food at all as long as they dont exceed the allowance, so how can they get away with charging us


  • Options
    #4
    Predalien
    Closed Accounts Posts: 946 ✭✭✭Predalien


    It's up individual companies as to whether they charge staff for food or not. I don't think you'd be successful arguing it's industry standard to provide free food.

    Forcing everyone to pay the deduction though isn't fair considering some don't avail, nor is profiting by charging for a uniform. It's best to raise these concerns first with the management and if things don't go anywhere perhaps make a complaint to the Rights Commissioner under the Payment of Wages Act 1991 for unfair deductions, it's probably best to to let your employer know you are making such a complaint.


  • Options
    #5
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,266 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Predalien wrote: »
    It's up individual companies as to whether they charge staff for food or not. I don't think you'd be successful arguing it's industry standard to provide free food.
    The registered employment agreement had it that staff were entitled to food, equivalent to about an hour's pay per day worked.

    Since registered employment agreements have constitutional issues, I don't know what the current situation is.


  • Options
    #6
    lovelabel
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭lovelabel


    Im fine with the charge for food if you are actually taking food and eating there everytime you work. Some employees dont wish to eat fast food every time they work and many others cant for religious reasons making the deduction unfair.

    I feel my uniform costs should definitely be covered by now and that they have to be making money off it


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    MagicSean
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,897 ✭✭✭MagicSean


    lovelabel wrote: »
    Im fine with the charge for food if you are actually taking food and eating there everytime you work. Some employees dont wish to eat fast food every time they work and many others cant for religious reasons making the deduction unfair.

    I feel my uniform costs should definitely be covered by now and that they have to be making money off it

    Then request a new issue of uniform. If you are paying that much towards uniform you should be entitled to regular replacement.


  • Options
    #8
    Procrastastudy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    If you're going down the 'awkward' route request to simply buy it outright and stop the deductions.

    OP I hope you've been in this place over a year if you're going to rock the boat.


  • Options
    #9
    Predalien
    Closed Accounts Posts: 946 ✭✭✭Predalien


    GCDLawstudent wrote: »
    If you're going down the 'awkward' route request to simply buy it outright and stop the deductions.

    OP I hope you've been in this place over a year if you're going to rock the boat.

    Are you suggesting an employer might not look favourably at an employee merely trying to enforce their rights? Surely not...;)


  • Options
    #10
    Esoteric_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,255 ✭✭✭✭Esoteric_


    I know which company you are speaking about, as I worked there up until very recently (albeit in a different store).

    In the time I worked there, I had approximately 312 euro taken from me for uniform allowance. In return for this, I received two shirts, one hat and a pair of shoes.

    As for the food allowance, we raised the issue of the deductions with our area manager, only to be told if we didn't like it, tough. Most of us hated eating the fast food, and so used our allowance on bottles of water, just to make up the price we were paying. We all brought in our own food, so just ended up bringing bottles of water home each night.

    Several of us tried to discuss these issues with management, and nothing was done.

    If you're not there over a year, I would not advise enforcing your rights in this instance. The only reason I say this is that, if your store is a company store as opposed to franchised, the upper management can be very severe on people who try to enforce their rights.


  • Options
    #11
    lovelabel
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭lovelabel


    LyndaMcL wrote: »
    I know which company you are speaking about, as I worked there up until very recently (albeit in a different store).

    In the time I worked there, I had approximately 312 euro taken from me for uniform allowance. In return for this, I received two shirts, one hat and a pair of shoes.

    As for the food allowance, we raised the issue of the deductions with our area manager, only to be told if we didn't like it, tough. Most of us hated eating the fast food, and so used our allowance on bottles of water, just to make up the price we were paying. We all brought in our own food, so just ended up bringing bottles of water home each night.

    Several of us tried to discuss these issues with management, and nothing was done.



    If you're not there over a year, I would not advise enforcing your rights in this instance. The only reason I say this is that, if your store is a company store as opposed to franchised, the upper management can be very severe on people who try to enforce their rights.

    What you just described is the exact situation to a tee. IN fact, I have only received one shirt. When you left did you return the unifrom items? if so were you offered the deductions back?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    Esoteric_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,255 ✭✭✭✭Esoteric_


    lovelabel wrote: »
    What you just described is the exact situation to a tee. IN fact, I have only received one shirt. When you left did you return the unifrom items? if so were you offered the deductions back?

    I can't really go into detail but I left on VERY bad terms and flat out refuse to go back into the place or speak to any of the management, so I didn't return my uniform and wasn't asked to. That said, staff who left before me DID return the uniforms and never received the money back. 312 euro for two shirts, a hat and a pair of shoes is ridiculous IMO. They ended up making money from us, rather than just taking the cost of our uniform.

    Edit to add - Company policy (written in the handbook) states that if you're working full time, you should get two shirts. So if you're working full time, request another shirt. You're paying for it, after all!


  • Options
    #13
    lovelabel
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭lovelabel


    LyndaMcL wrote: »
    I can't really go into detail but I left on VERY bad terms and flat out refuse to go back into the place or speak to any of the management, so I didn't return my uniform and wasn't asked to. That said, staff who left before me DID return the uniforms and never received the money back. 312 euro for two shirts, a hat and a pair of shoes is ridiculous IMO. They ended up making money from us, rather than just taking the cost of our uniform.

    Edit to add - Company policy (written in the handbook) states that if you're working full time, you should get two shirts. So if you're working full time, request another shirt. You're paying for it, after all!


    Nah, only part time and I probably wouldn't even take this anywhere but I was wondering for a while about the deductions.. it's annoying working say a ten hour shift which should be making 80 euro and then only actually getting 60 after all the deductions! All for bottles of water and a hat!


  • Options
    #14
    Claire McCarthy Cork
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 28 ✭Claire McCarthy Cork


    Have any of you thought about joining a union? Sounds like a job for collective action.


  • Options
    #15
    kippy
    Registered Users Posts: 18,401 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    Claire McCarthy Cork wrote: »
    Have any of you thought about joining a union? Sounds like a job for collective action.

    Unions, in the fast food industry?

    There's no real need to join a union in this instance as there are other channels that can be used to highlight and rectify the issue.


  • Options
    #16
    seb65
    Registered Users Posts: 402 ✭✭seb65


    lovelabel wrote: »
    Nah, only part time and I probably wouldn't even take this anywhere but I was wondering for a while about the deductions.. it's annoying working say a ten hour shift which should be making 80 euro and then only actually getting 60 after all the deductions! All for bottles of water and a hat!

    Unbelievable! This is why Ireland needs class action legislation. I agree with other people here though, you should try and get your money's worth if you're not going to push the issue. Take bottles of water/other drinks home. OR order food and bin it. In fact, you could organize everyone to do it, get some press and maybe said company will be shamed into removing the charge.


  • Options
    #17
    lovelabel
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭lovelabel


    kippy wrote: »
    Unions, in the fast food industry?

    There's no real need to join a union in this instance as there are other channels that can be used to highlight and rectify the issue.


    What would those channels be?


  • Options
    #18
    kippy
    Registered Users Posts: 18,401 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    lovelabel wrote: »
    What would those channels be?
    http://www.lrc.ie
    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/
    to start with......


  • Options
    #19
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,266 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    seb65 wrote: »
    I agree with other people here though, you should try and get your money's worth if you're not going to push the issue. Take bottles of water/other drinks home. OR order food and bin it. In fact, you could organize everyone to do it, get some press and maybe said company will be shamed into removing the charge.
    I'm reasonably sure the objective isn't to get fired.


  • Options
    #20
    seb65
    Registered Users Posts: 402 ✭✭seb65


    Victor wrote: »
    I'm reasonably sure the objective isn't to get fired.

    Well, OP could do it quietly. A small act of private revolution to give him/her some power back. If it did go public however - and I think that people would well be outraged over a company taking advantage of minimum wage workers like this - the company would be doubly shamed if they fired people for standing up for their rights.

    This carry on by the "suffering" businesses makes me quite angry. The horror stories I've heard since the downturn on how employees in lower-wage, service industries are treated by their employers - disgraceful! Of course, there are lots of businesses that are very good to their employees, but some...holy moly!


  • Options
    #21
    Procrastastudy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    seb65 wrote: »
    Well, OP could do it quietly. A small act of private revolution to give him/her some power back. If it did go public however - and I think that people would well be outraged over a company taking advantage of minimum wage workers like this - the company would be doubly shamed if they fired people for standing up for their rights.

    This carry on by the "suffering" businesses makes me quite angry. The horror stories I've heard since the downturn on how employees in lower-wage, service industries are treated by their employers - disgraceful! Of course, there are lots of businesses that are very good to their employees, but some...holy moly!

    They've always been treated like this. They don't care about the publicity. How else do you think a burger is cheaper than a bag of carrots?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    mikemac1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,395 ✭✭✭✭mikemac1


    seb65 wrote: »
    The horror stories I've heard since the downturn on how employees in lower-wage, service industries are treated by their employers - disgraceful!

    Do you think this is new?

    At the height of the Celtic Tiger the hotel and service industry treated staff terribly. This isn't new, nothing to do with any downturn

    Minimum rest periods? Lol
    You finish cleaning the ballroom at 4am and you'll be back for breakfast shift at 7am or don't come back at all

    Complain and you won't be fired, your hours would be cut and given to the new hire.
    You have no hours so you are forced to leave but you were not fired


  • Options
    #23
    lovelabel
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭lovelabel


    mikemac1 wrote: »
    Do you think this is new?

    At the height of the Celtic Tiger the hotel and service industry treated staff terribly. This isn't new, nothing to do with any downturn

    Minimum rest periods? Lol
    You finish cleaning the ballroom at 4am and you'll be back for breakfast shift at 7am or don't come back at all

    Complain and you won't be fired, your hours would be cut and given to the new hire.
    You have no hours so you are forced to leave but you were not fired



    This is exactly what is happening, they hire new staff that aren't needed quite frequently who then get all the hours. If you call in sick you suddenly get less hours, or else the undesirable shifts.


Advertisement