How to Make a WRC Complaint in Ireland: Time Limits, Hearings and Appeals

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is the State body that decides most employment rights disputes in Ireland, from unpaid wages and short notice to unfair dismissal and redundancy rows. Complaints are made on a single online form, heard by an independent adjudication officer, and end in a legally binding written decision.

This guide walks through the whole process: what the WRC covers, the time limits, the online complaint form, the mediation option, what actually happens at an adjudication hearing, the outcomes, appealing to the Labour Court, and how decisions are enforced when an employer ignores them.

Information last verified on 20 July 2026. This page is general legal information for the Republic of Ireland, not legal advice.

What does the WRC handle?

Most WRC complaints are made under section 41 of the Workplace Relations Act 2015, using the list of employment enactments in Schedule 5 to that Act. That route covers:

• Statutory minimum notice periods.
• The national minimum wage.
• Working time, holidays and statutory leave, including statutory sick pay.

A few important claims are not in Schedule 5 and reach the WRC by their own separate legislative route:

• Unfair dismissal, which comes in under section 8 of the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977.
• Redundancy pay disputes, which come in under the Redundancy Payments Act 1967.

That distinction is worth understanding, because it is exactly why those two claims carry their own time limits rather than the general one set out below. Either way, the WRC and not the ordinary courts is normally where the claim starts.

Before you complain: try to resolve it, and check pre-steps

The WRC expects people to try informal resolution first: raise the issue directly, use the workplace grievance procedure, and keep records of what was said. Many disputes end there, and a paper trail strengthens any later complaint.

A small number of complaint types have a required pre-step. The clearest example: before making a national minimum wage complaint, you must first request a statement of your earnings from your employer.

How do I submit a WRC complaint?

Complaints go in on the WRC's online complaint form (the e-complaint form) at workplacerelations.ie. The form asks who you are, who the employer is, which rights you say were breached and what happened. One form can cover several complaints arising from the same employment.

After you submit, you receive a complaint reference. Supporting documents, such as your contract, payslips or correspondence, are emailed to submissions@workplacerelations.ie, quoting that reference.

Three WRC email addresses do different jobs, and sending something to the wrong one can cost you a deadline. Statements and supporting documents go to submissions@workplacerelations.ie, objections to hearing arrangements go to objections@workplacerelations.ie, and postponement requests and objections to a written-submissions-only decision go to pru@workplacerelations.ie.

What is the time limit for a WRC complaint?

The general rule: 6 months from the date of the alleged breach. An adjudicator can extend this by a further 6 months, to a maximum of 12, but only where you show reasonable cause for the delay. For dismissal claims, the date of dismissal is normally the date your notice expires. If you were given no notice, or less notice than the law required, the date of dismissal is instead the date a compliant statutory notice would have expired, so the notice you should have received is effectively added on before the clock starts. For a fixed-term or specified-purpose contract, it is the date the contract expires or the purpose ceases.

The main exception worth knowing: disputes about a statutory redundancy payment carry a 1-year (52-week) time limit rather than the general 6 months, and under section 24(2A) of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 the WRC can allow a claim made up to 2 years (104 weeks) after the dismissal where the delay was due to reasonable cause. Do not run the clock down in either case; late complaints without reasonable cause are lost entirely.

Mediation: the voluntary alternative

The WRC offers mediation for suitable cases, by phone, video or in person. It is voluntary, so it only happens if both sides agree, and a mediator helps the parties reach their own settlement rather than imposing a decision. If mediation fails or either side declines it, the complaint proceeds to adjudication.

What happens at a WRC adjudication hearing?

Adjudication is the formal track. An independent adjudication officer inquires into the complaint, holds a hearing, and issues a binding written decision. Key mechanics to prepare for:

• You normally get at least 4 weeks' notice of the hearing date. If you want to object to how the hearing is to be held, whether in person or remote, the WRC must receive your objection within 10 working days from the date of the hearing notification letter, by email to objections@workplacerelations.ie, copying the other side. A later objection is not lost, but it will be dealt with by the adjudication officer on the day of the hearing.
• Some cases can be dealt with on written submissions only, unless a party objects within 42 days of being notified.
• Evidence must be exchanged with the adjudicator and the other side at least 15 working days before the hearing. Documents produced late can be refused.
• Hearings are public unless the adjudication officer decides special circumstances arise, and decisions are published, usually with the parties named. There is one categorical exception: a dispute under the Industrial Relations Act 1969 is heard in private and the resulting recommendation is anonymised. That matters if you have under 12 months' service, because the Industrial Relations route is the usual one in that situation.
• Adjudicators can compel witnesses to attend and administer oaths; giving false evidence is a prosecutable offence.

You can be represented by a trade union official, an employer-body official, a practising barrister or solicitor, a parent or guardian if you are under 18, or another person with the adjudicator's permission. Many people present their own case.

What can the WRC decide?

The adjudication officer issues a written decision that is binding on both parties. What the decision can order depends on the Act the complaint was brought under: an unfair dismissal claim can end in reinstatement, re-engagement or compensation, while a pay claim typically ends in an order to pay what is owed. The decision arrives in writing and sets out the reasoning.

Appealing to the Labour Court

Either side can appeal a WRC decision to the Labour Court within 42 days. Miss that window and the decision becomes legally binding as it stands. One carve-out: discrimination decisions under the Equal Status Acts appeal to the Circuit Court instead of the Labour Court.

Enforcement: what if the employer just ignores the decision?

An employer has 56 days to comply with a WRC decision. After that, you, your trade union or the WRC itself can apply to the District Court for an enforcement order. Where the original decision ordered reinstatement or re-engagement, the District Court can substitute compensation of up to 104 weeks' pay. The court can also order interest, and failing to comply with a compensation order is a criminal offence unless the employer proves it cannot pay.

For more guides to Irish workplace rights, see our Ireland law hub.

This page is general legal information for the Republic of Ireland, not legal advice. Time limits are strict and preparing evidence properly matters, so consider advice from a solicitor or your trade union before filing. Complaints are decided by the Workplace Relations Commission, with appeals to the Labour Court.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to make a WRC complaint?

Generally 6 months from the alleged breach, extendable to 12 months only where you show reasonable cause for the delay. Redundancy-payment disputes are the big exception, with a 1-year time limit from the date of dismissal that the WRC can extend to 2 years where the delay was due to reasonable cause.

Are WRC hearings public?

Yes, adjudication hearings are held in public unless the adjudication officer decides special circumstances arise, and decisions are published, usually with the names of the parties included. Disputes under the Industrial Relations Act 1969 are the exception: they are heard in private and the recommendation is anonymised.

Do I need a solicitor for a WRC hearing?

No, representation is optional. You may be represented by a trade union official, an employer-body official, a practising barrister or solicitor, or another person with the adjudicator's permission, and many complainants present their own case.

Can I appeal a WRC decision?

Yes. Either party can appeal to the Labour Court within 42 days of the decision. If nobody appeals in time, the decision becomes legally binding. Equal Status Acts discrimination decisions appeal to the Circuit Court instead.

What happens if my employer ignores a WRC decision?

After 56 days you, your union or the WRC can apply to the District Court for an enforcement order. The court can substitute up to 104 weeks' pay for a reinstatement order, add interest, and non-compliance with a compensation order is an offence unless the employer proves financial hardship.

What is the difference between mediation and adjudication?

Mediation is voluntary and produces a settlement the parties agree between themselves, with a mediator facilitating by phone, video or in person. Adjudication is the formal route: an independent adjudication officer holds a hearing and imposes a binding written decision.