Barakova v Ireland Fishing Ltd t/a Wattermill Lodge & Brissaud [2023]

Background:

The claimant, a Bulgarian national, worked for the respondent from July 2013 to 2015 and then from August 2017 until her employment ended in July 2019.  The claimant was contracted 40 hours per week yet the claimant asserted that she was forced to work approximately 130 hours per week. She also asserted that she was denied work breaks and annual leave.  It was accepted, however, that she took three weeks off in January ’18 and ’19 to travel to Bulgaria.

In June 2019 an altercation took place between the claimant and other members of staff.  The claimant did not deny this.  The second respondent, the Director (a French national) of the first respondent sought