Our Commitment
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is committed to promoting quality, openness and transparency in the delivery of our services. If you are not satisfied with the standard of service you receive, or if you feel improvements could be made, please let us know. We welcome your feedback and will deal with your comments and complaints thoroughly, fairly and promptly.
What issues does the Customer Service Complaints Procedure cover?1.
We define a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction concerning the provision of a service or services by the WRC as set out in our Customer Services Charter, which remains unresolved following an initial attempt by the customer to raise this with the relevant line division of the WRC. A complaint can only be logged/accepted by the WRC Customer Complaints area, once we are assured that we have already had an attempt to resolve the issue but failed. Please note that the Customer Service Complaints Procedures does not apply to the outcome of any mediation, conciliation or, adjudication carried out by the Workplace Relations Commission. If you think an adjudication decision or recommendation is incorrect, you may wish to appeal against this decision/recommendation. You cannot challenge the decision or recommendation through this procedure.
1. The investigation, adjudication and decision of an adjudication officer cannot be dealt with as a complaint under the customer charter as that process is quasi-judicial in nature.
How do I make a complaint?
- You can make a complaint by contacting the Customer Services Officer in the area relevant to your query in the Workplace Relations Commission (see below)
- If there is anything that may affect your ability to make a complaint, please let the Access Officer of the Workplace Relations Commission know and they will do all they can to assist you
- You can make a complaint in person or by phone, in writing or by e-mail
Corporate Services Alan Barron | Workplace Relations Commission 0818 80 80 90 |
Workplace Relations Customer Services (Provides information on industrial relations and rights and obligations under Irish employment and equality legislation) | Workplace Relations Commission Phone: (059) 917 8990 0818 80 80 90 |
Inspection and Enforcement Regional Manager Peter Harte | Workplace Relations Commission Phone: (059) 917 8990 0818 80 80 90 |
Conciliation, Advisory and Mediation Division Laura Hennessy | Workplace Relations Commission Main Switchboard: (01) 613 6700 0818 80 80 90 |
Adjudication Elisha Friel | Workplace Relations Commission Main Switchboard: (01) 613 6700 0818 80 80 90 |
Workplace Relations Commission, Regional Manager Fidelma Hardiman | Workplace Relations Commission Phone: (021) 454 9300 |
Workplace Relations Commission, Ennis Regional Manager Enda Murphy | Workplace Relations Commission Phone: (059) 917 8942 |
Workplace Relations Commission, Regional Manager Fidelma Hardiman | Workplace Relations Commission Phone: (071) 918 0700 |
Access Officer/Disability Liaison Officer Alan Barron | Workplace Relations Commission 0818 80 80 90 |
What information should you provide?
You will help to speed up the investigation of your complaint by providing the following:
- Your name, address, e-mail address and a daytime telephone number
- Details of your complaint
- The name of the official with whom you were dealing
Can I make a complaint through Irish?
If a complaint is made in Irish it will be acknowledged in Irish and we will endeavour to deal with any complaint through Irish, if requested.
What happens when I make a complaint?
- When we receive your complaint, we will record it and contact you within 10 working days. We will advise you how to access our Customer Service Complaints Procedure
- We will investigate all complaints and issue a reply to your complaint within 15 working days or, where this is not possible, an interim reply will issue explaining the position and advising when a substantive response will issue
- All complaint will be treated fairly, impartially and in confidence
- We will keep records of complaints separate from other records
What if I am not satisfied?
If you are not happy with the response of the Workplace Relations Commission to your complaint, you may seek a review of how your complaint was handled.
How do I seek a review?
- Please send your request for a review to our Customer Service Officer
- You may seek a review in person or by phone, in writing or by e-mail
Customer Service Officer Alan Barron | Workplace Relations Commission Lansdowne House Lansdowne Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4 D04 A3A8 0818 80 80 90 |
- Tell us why you are not satisfied with the response that you have received to date. You may include any other relevant background information. A Divisional Complaints Officer will carry out the review. The Divisional Complaints Officer will not have been involved in the previous investigation of your complaint
- You must seek this review within 15 working days of the date on the response you received from the business area/section of the Workplace Relations Commission dealing with your original complaint.
How will the Workplace Relations Commission deal with the Complaints Review request?
- The Customer Services Section will acknowledge your Complaints Review request within 10 working days
- We will assign a Divisional Complaints Officer to deal with your complaint
- The Divisional Complaints Officer will aim to send you a full reply within 15 working days. If this deadline cannot be met, you will receive an explanation that will inform you when you can expect a full response
What if I am still not satisfied with the outcome of the Complaints Review?
If you are still not satisfied with the response of the Divisional Complaints Officer in the Workplace Relations Commission to your Complaint Review, you have the right to take your complaint to the Director General of the Workplace Relations Commission who can investigate complaints about any of our administrative actions or procedures, as well as delays or inaction in our dealings with you.
Director General Audrey Cahill | Workplace Relations Commission Lansdowne House Lansdowne Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4 D04 A3A8 0818 80 80 90 |
Disability Act 2005
Can I make a complaint under the Disability Act?
Sections 25, 26, 27 and 28 of the Disability Act, 2005 relate to access by persons with disabilities to:
- the public buildings of the Workplace Relations Commission
- the services of the Workplace Relations Commission
- services supplied to the Workplace Relations Commission
- information
If you feel that the Workplace Relations Commission has not complied with any of these sections you may make a complaint in writing in accordance with Section 38 of the Disability Act 2005.
In accordance with Section 39(2) of the Disability Act 2005, the following are the procedures for making and investigating such complaints:
How to make a complaint under the Disability Act?
A complaint may be made by a person, or through his or her:
- spouse/partner, parent or relative
- guardian or a person acting in loco parentis to that person
- legal representative
- a personal advocate, assigned by the Citizens Information Board to represent that person, or
- by someone advocating on behalf of that person with his or her consent
A complaint must be made in writing, which can include email, and should provide all your contact details, or the contact details for whoever is making the complaint on your behalf.
The complaint should state that it is a complaint under Section 38 of the Disability Act 2005 and should, in so far as it is possible, set out clearly the grounds for the complaint which should relate to the failure of the Workplace Relations Commission to provide access to its public buildings, services, services supplied to the Workplace Relations Commission or information.
The complaint must be made to the Director General.
[Section 38 of the Disability Act 2005 states that: " A person may by himself or through a person referred to in section 9 (2) make a complaint in writing to the head of a public body in relation to the failure of the body to comply with section 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 or 29 of this Act"] 8
Director General Audrey Cahill | Workplace Relations Commission Lansdowne House Lansdowne Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4 D04 A3A8 0818 80 80 90 E-mail: customerservice@workplacerelations.ie Web: www.workplacerelations.ie |
How will the Workplace Relations Commission investigate my complaint under the Disability Act?
Following the receipt of a complaint the Director General will refer your complaint to an Inquiry Officer in accordance with Section 39 of the Disability Act 2005.
In accordance with Section 39(1) of the Disability Act 2005, the Director General, as Head of the Workplace Relations Commission, may authorise an Inquiry Office to investigate complaints.
What will the Inquiry Officer do?
- On receipt of the complaint referred by the Director General, the Inquiry Officer will acknowledge receipt to the person who made the complaint
- The Inquiry Officer will examine the complaint to establish if it relates to an alleged failure by the Workplace Relations Commission to comply with Sections 25, 26, 27 and 28 of the Disability Act, 2005
- Where the Inquiry Officer considers that the complaint is frivolous or vexatious, he or she will notify the Director General and the person who made the complaint to that effect. Otherwise he or she will investigate the complaint
- The Inquiry Officer may request further information/details from the person who made the complaint and may require that such information/details be furnished within a specified time. If you do not provide this information, the Inquiry Officer will nonetheless proceed with the investigation
- The Inquiry Officer may consult with all parties which he or she considers appropriate regarding the matter. In the course of the investigation, the Inquiry Officer may undertake interviews with such persons which he or she considers appropriate, including the person who made the complaint, to gather all the information needed to reach a decision
- The Inquiry Officer will keep a written record of his or her investigation
- The Inquiry Officer will prepare a written report of the results of the investigation setting out his or her findings together with a determination in relation to:
- whether there has been a failure by the Workplace Relations Commission to comply with the relevant provisions of the Disability Act 2005
- if such a determination indicates that there has been such a failure, the steps required to be taken by the Workplace Relations Commission to comply with the provisions(s) concerned
The Inquiry Officer will send a copy of his or her report to the Director General and the person who made the complaint. This report will end the investigation of your complaint within the Workplace Relations Commission.