"Cash-for-visas" company failed to pay employee for four months

A Monaghan-based company operating within Ireland's cash-for-visas scheme has been ordered by the Workplace Relations Commission to pay a former employee €12,400 in unpaid wages. The employee worked as director of international investment for Huawen Foundation Ltd and did not receive salary for the four-month period from November 2020 to February 2021, despite continuing to work during this time. The adjudicating officer found the company failed to attend the remote hearing and made no engagement with the commission regarding the complaint. A significant issue emerged when the company filed payslips to Revenue Commissioners for the unpaid period, leaving the employee liable for income tax on wages never received. The company, which promotes Irish property investments under the government's Immigrant Investor Programme, relocated its registered office to the Nuremore Hotel & Country Club in Carrickmacross in February 2021.