My employer is paying me below the minimum wage set in my award. What can I do?

What the Law Says

The Payment of Wages Act 1991 protects employees from unlawful deductions and underpayment — including failure to pay the statutory minimum wage.

Under Irish law, your employer must pay you at least the national minimum wage — currently €12.70 per hour for experienced adult workers (as of February 2024). This rate is set separately under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000, but enforcement of underpayment falls under the Payment of Wages Act 1991.

Section 5 of the Payment of Wages Act 1991 makes it unlawful for an employer to withhold wages or pay less than what is due under contract or statute — unless permitted by law or agreed in writing. Paying below the minimum wage breaches this duty.

You have the right to receive full payment of all wages due, including any arrears resulting from underpayment. The law allows you to seek redress through the Workplace Relations Commission.

Statutory Text

An employer shall not make a deduction from the wages of a worker or withhold any part of the wages of a worker except— (a) where the deduction or withholding is required or authorised by statute, (b) where the deduction or withholding is authorised by the worker's contract of employment, or (c) where the worker has given prior written consent to the deduction or withholding.

— Payment of Wages Act 1991, s. 5 — Deductions from wages

What to Do

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