Kostal ordered to pay Sarah Donohoe €495.04 over unlawful wage deductions

The Workplace Relations Commission ordered Kostal Ireland Gmbh to pay Sarah Donohoe €165.01 and €495.04 after finding two complaints about unlawful wage deductions well founded. Its decision was dated 19 May 2023. A third complaint, which the WRC found was a duplicate, was not well founded. Donohoe’s union argued that her contract did not allow unpaid time away and that she had not consented to the deductions. Kostal cited trading and supply challenges and said reduced hours were intended to protect jobs. The WRC found no contractual term authorising the unpaid time away and said the practice was contested rather than established. Both awards are subject to statutory reductions and reconciliation of relevant Job Seekers Benefit payments.