Paddy Power May Have to Pay €80,000 for Not Giving Employees Breaks

Irish betting group Paddy Power is facing controversy for their retail betting operation, as they've had a complaint filed against them by a trade union seeking pay for not allowing staff proper breaks.

The case was filed by trade union group Mandate, who said that 78 separate cases have been filed with the Ireland Workplace Relations Commission in regard to the break disputes. It is seeking between €750 and €1,000 for each of those employees. 11 workers have already won €10,100 in compensation for the lack of breaks, and the company is vowing to take a look at their processes for allowing break time.

"We have systems in place to enable employees to take their breaks, and we will continue to ensure that our employees get them," said a Paddy Power spokesman. "We are disappointed with this ruling but we will be abiding by it and reviewing our processes accordingly."

Mandate organiser Robert McNamara spoke about the cases, noting: "There are thousands of workers in the retail, pharmacy, bar and betting industries who are currently being denied their statutory entitlements but do not know their rights or do not have a trade union to back them up."

"The Paddy Power workers who joined Mandate and have won these cases are a good example of why it's important to be a member of a trade union."

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