Joiner awarded €4,951.80 after Coolaney Carpentry closure

James Bolton, a joiner who worked for Coolaney Carpentry Ltd t/a Quality Carpentry from 2013 to 2023, was awarded compensation for unpaid annual leave, public holidays and minimum notice. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) dated its decision 28 May 2024. The company said its closure was unavoidable because of cash-flow problems, rising costs, lost contracts and unpaid customer debts. The complaint facts were not disputed. The WRC upheld Bolton’s annual-leave complaint and awarded €990.30, and upheld his public-holiday complaint and awarded €330.12. It also awarded €4,951.80 for minimum notice, finding he was entitled to six weeks’ notice after more than ten years’ service. Two further complaints duplicated the annual-leave and public-holiday claims.