RTÉ named in bogus work practices probe

RTÉ is being monitored as part of an investigation into bogus selfemployment practices.

The state broadcaster, along with the construction industry and English language schools are among the areas being probed by a new Employment Status

Inspection Unit, set up in August last year within the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

The unit was created because of the widespread use of dubious self-employment arrangements in industries like construction and courier businesses.

Records obtained by the Irish Mail on Sunday, using Freedom of Information laws, reveal, however, that one of its first inquiries has involved RTÉ and its employment practices for freelance and contract staff.

Exact details of what the reviews involve have been redacted from records but it is understood Minister Regina Doherty was briefed on developments last autumn.

A submission for Ms Doherty was prepared, to give her an ‘update on ongoing PRSI monitoring and compliance activity’ at the state broadcaster. This, the submission said, was part of the wider investigation into false self-employment in different industries.

A department spokeswoman confirmed that they had been monitoring RTÉ and its use of self-employed contractors.

She said: ‘RTÉ carried out an extensive review of the employment status of hundreds of contractors, which provided for trade union involvement and also an appeals process.

‘The department was made aware of the review and monitored its progress over the past 18 months. The department intends to conduct a review exercise.’

However, the spokeswoman said the timing of this second review would have to take account of the Covid-19 crisis. The original review involved a large group of contract and freelance workers, where short contracts can be continually rolled over and staff never made full-time.

An independent report, commissioned by RTÉ, found that many of these had ‘attributes akin to employment’.

As part of that process, the status of more than 100 workers were examined, with 81 of them subsequently offered contracts of employment.

The possibility of backdating pension entitlements and other rights for the staff involved has also been raised by independent TD Catherine Murphy.

A spokesman for RTÉ said: ‘RTÉ began a comprehensive review of contractors in 2018. RTÉ has continued to provide regular updates on this process throughout 2019 and early 2020 to the Department of Employment Affairs.’

Separately, details of the work of the department’s Employment Status Inspection Unit have emerged for the first time.

The unit began work in August last year, staffed by eight full-time inspectors, and with plans to increase to 15 by the middle of this year. The department said that 3,000 inspections had taken place last year, an increase of almost a third on the previous year. These yielded savings of just under €2m.

‘The department intends to conduct RTÉ review’

Unit’s inspections yielded €2m in savings last year