An electrical firm has been ordered to pay a former employee more than £33,600 after withholding thousands of pounds of wages.

Joshua Masefield resigned from I.C.E Electrical Limited in June after the company failed to pay his full wages or pass on deductions for income tax and social security.

The electrician received just £2,500 over more than six months, leaving him more than £14,000 short in wages.

The Jersey Employment and Discrimination Tribunal heard that losing his employment also prevented Mr Masefield from completing certain electrical qualifications linked to work experience.

I.C.E Electrical Limited did not submit a response to his claims, entitling him to judgment in default. The company was notified of the hearing, but did not seek permission to attend.

The employer’s conduct has been reprehensible, especially the non-payment of wages and non-remittance of contributions

Tribunal chair Advocate Dr Elena Moran

Mr Masefield began working for the firm in January 2024, agreeing an hourly rate of £17 and a guaranteed 40-hour week.

Despite repeated requests, he was never given a written contract. Payslips became sporadic during 2025 and stopped altogether after November.

From December 2025, the company failed to pay his full weekly wage – instead putting “occasional” payments into Mr Masefield’s bank account.

Throughout his employment, he had been told that deductions for tax and social security were being passed to Revenue Jersey.

However, Mr Masefield was later told that no payments had been made after May 2025.

The judgment identified £2,244 in social security deductions and £7,931.20 in income tax deductions, stating that he was entitled to credits for those sums.

Tribunal chair Advocate Dr Elena Moran found that the unpaid wages and failure to remit contributions amounted to a fundamental breach of his contract, establishing constructive unfair dismissal.

“The employer’s conduct has been reprehensible, especially the non-payment of wages and non-remittance of contributions,” she said.

She awarded the maximum 12 weeks’ compensation for unfair dismissal, increased by 25% because of the employer’s conduct, bringing that element to £10,200.

The overall £33,611 award also covered unpaid wages, holiday and notice pay, and compensation for the absence of a written contract and payslips.

I.C.E Electrical Limited was ordered to pay within 14 days of the judgment, dated 1 October.