Rail worker paid £105,000 a year to 'read the paper and eat sandwiches' SUES employers because he's BORED

A rail employee earning £105,000 per annum is suing his company due to the sheer lack of activity his job entails.

Dermot Mills says his work simply includes reading the paper, take long walks and eating sandwiches.

The finance manager says he has been penalised for speaking out against Irish Rail, a punishment that has left him with very little work.

Mr Mills told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in Ireland: “I’d say if I got something that requires me to do work once in a week I’d be thrilled.”

Under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, he has brought the complaint forward.

The worker testified that he had responsibility for capital budgets worth around £216,000 from around 2000 until the economic crash in 2006 and 2007.

He claims he was “bullied” after a promotion in 2010, before taking sick leave in 2013, according to the Irish Independent.

He then agreed to returning to his workplace with the same status and salary.

Mr Mills says his responsibility has been “hacked down to nothing” after previously looking at dealing with debts.

Mr Mills says that his work now entails staying at home around two days a week, before going into the office the other three days
Niall Carson

He said that upon returning to his job, his remit altered significantly as he managed a debt portfolio worth €8m at the time, but is now down to €40,000.

After making a protected disclosure to the Transport Minister in December, Mr Mills says that he lost his remit for dealing with the debts.

He says that his work now entails staying at home around two days a week, before going into the office the other three days.

“If I go to the office, I go in for 10am. I buy two newspapers, the Times and the Independent, and a sandwich. I go into my cubicle, I turn on my computer, I look at emails”, he said.

“There are no emails associated with work, no messages, no communications, no colleague communications.”

Mr Mills says he would normally go for a walk at lunch time, which would last around an hour or two.

His representative, former Irish Rail HR chief John Keenan, asked him: “You’re paid €121,000 for doing nothing?”

He replied: “Yes – when I say to do nothing, I mean to not use my skills.”

The hearing was adjourned with the next appearance not expected until February, as the employer seeks a new witness.