The Workplace Relations Commission is the body that handles most employment disputes in Ireland — unfair dismissal, discrimination, unpaid wages, holiday pay, and more. Most people have never dealt with it before and do not know what to expect. This page explains the process plainly.
The Workplace Relations Commission was established in 2015 to handle employment and equality disputes. Complaints are filed online through the WRC's complaint form. Once filed, the employer is notified and invited to respond. The case is then assigned to an adjudicator who conducts a hearing — typically within 6 to 12 months of filing.
Hearings are less formal than court proceedings but are still legal processes where evidence is presented and cross-examination takes place. While you can represent yourself, having a solicitor significantly improves your chances of success — employers are almost always legally represented.
The six-month deadline for most WRC complaints is strict. Filing even one day late can result in your complaint being dismissed without consideration of its merits. If you are approaching the deadline, file first and take legal advice simultaneously. Do not wait until you have spoken to a solicitor to file.
Kevin was dismissed from his logistics job in Galway after five years for what his employer described as gross misconduct. Kevin believed the allegation was fabricated and related to a dispute he had raised about safety conditions on site.
He filed a WRC complaint himself, within the six-month deadline, and was confident in his case. At the hearing, his employer arrived with a barrister and a bundle of documents — witness statements, CCTV timestamps, emails Kevin had not known existed. Kevin had brought himself and a written statement.
The adjudicator gave Kevin every opportunity to respond, but he was unprepared for the procedural aspects of the hearing and found it impossible to properly challenge the employer's evidence in the moment.
Kevin lost. He subsequently contacted a solicitor who reviewed the decision and identified grounds for appeal to the Labour Court. The solicitor prepared a comprehensive case for the appeal.
Free assessment. No obligation. Employment solicitors matched to your county.
Tell Us What Happened