Your employer ignored your wage demand. Take it to the WRC.
The Workplace Relations Commission decides unpaid-wages complaints free of charge — but the clock is 6 months from the contravention.
You sent a demand for the wages you are owed and the employer ignored it, denied it, or paid only part. In Ireland the next step is a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). It is free to lodge, and an adjudication officer can direct the employer to pay you the amount due.
Under the Payment of Wages Act 1991, wages properly payable that are not paid are treated as an unlawful deduction. The complaint procedure runs through section 41 of the Workplace Relations Act 2015, which sets a strict 6-month time limit from the date of the contravention (the last unpaid pay date in a series) — extendable to a maximum of 12 months only where you can show reasonable cause. Do not let the clock run out.
An adjudication officer holds a hearing and issues a decision. If you disagree with the outcome, an appeal lies to the Labour Court, which must be lodged within 42 days. Throughout, the process is built for self-represented workers.
Legal mechanisms now in play
- Payment of Wages Act 1991 ss.5-6 — non-payment of wages properly payable is an unlawful deduction the WRC can order repaid
- Workplace Relations Act 2015 s.41 — free complaint procedure, 6-month limit (12 months for reasonable cause)
- Adjudication officer can direct the employer to pay the amount due
- Appeal to the Labour Court within 42 days of the decision
- No fee to lodge — the process is designed for self-represented workers
WRC Complaint — Unpaid Wages
Builds a structured complaint narrative to attach to your WRC complaint form: the parties, what you are owed and the period it covers, the contravention date and time limit, your stage-1 demand and the employer's response, and what you ask the adjudication officer to do — find an unlawful deduction and direct payment.
$19.00 ($9.00 if you bought our earlier letter — apply via the receipt URL or QR code in your first letter's PDF)
Start the WRC Complaint — Unpaid Wages →Frequently asked
How long do I have to bring a WRC complaint?
Six months from the contravention (the last unpaid pay date in a series), under section 41 of the Workplace Relations Act 2015. That can be extended to a maximum of 12 months only if you show reasonable cause for the delay. File sooner rather than later.
Does it cost anything to complain to the WRC?
No. Lodging a complaint on the WRC online form is free, and the adjudication process is designed for people representing themselves.
What can the WRC actually order?
For a Payment of Wages complaint, the adjudication officer can find that the employer made an unlawful deduction and direct the employer to pay you the amount due. If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal to the Labour Court within 42 days.
Is this the same as an unfair dismissal claim?
No. This is about unpaid wages under the Payment of Wages Act 1991. Unfair dismissal is a separate claim with its own rules. This narrative is for wage arrears, holiday pay, final pay, unlawful deductions, and unpaid commission.
How much does the next-step narrative cost?
$19 standalone, or $9 if you bought our original Irish unpaid-wages demand — your receipt URL or QR code applies the discount automatically.