Galway firm ordered to pay €5,200 to worker denied holiday pay

A Claregalway haulage company has been ordered to pay compensation of more than €5,000 to a former employee who was denied holiday pay and told that he was not entitled to annual leave.

Jolly Prado took a case against Willie Kenny & Sons Transport Limited at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) after he was dismissed by the firm and refused payment for accrued holidays.

He had started work as a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver for the Kiltrogue-based company on March 11, 2025, and sought to take annual leave after completing six months of service.

Mr Prado told a WRC adjudication hearing that the company informed him that workers were not entitled to paid annual leave, and refused to pay him any accrued holidays entitlements.

He produced screenshots of messages showing his attempts to secure payment for the annual leave. Instead of addressing the request, the firm responded by raising an alleged incident involving vehicle damage on the day that he was dismissed, according to Mr Prado.

At the hearing, the company admitted that Mr Prado had not been paid his accrued annual leave of 10 days. Asked by WRC adjudication officer Úna Glazier-Farmer why the money had not been paid, the respondent said the matter was “ongoing”.

In her decision, Ms Glazier-Farmer found that the former employee’s complaint under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 was well-founded on the basis that the employer had accepted the unpaid annual leave entitlement.

In calculating compensation, she said regard had been given to the employer’s failure to make the payment despite conceding that it was due, “particularly in light of the complainant’s financial circumstances”.

She awarded Mr Prado €5,230.77 – the equivalent of eight weeks’ remuneration – describing the sum as just and equitable in the circumstances.