The Complainant commenced employment with the Respondent on the 1st of January 1990. His role was described as that of “mobile granger”.  On the 30th of July 2020, the Complainant’s representative lodged a complaint under the Payment of Wages Act. The Complainant alleged that he had suffered an unlawful deduction from his wages in relation to the Respondent's failure to pay the full amount of a sickness benefit properly payable to him.  In response, the Respondent stated that the benefit in question was not properly payable to him, and as such no breach of the Act occurred.

In May 2017, the Complainant suffered a significant workplace injury which necessitated a period of sick leave of approximately four months. During