Fine imposed on security company amounts to around €140,000 due to alleged disregard of payment regulations, according to WRC's harsh criticism.
In a series of regulatory actions, BGS Security Ltd, a security guard service provider in Ireland, has faced significant consequences for breaches of national pay regulations and employment laws. The Private Security Authority (PSA) revoked the company's licence to operate static security guards on June 10, 2025, following repeated violations of PSA legislation and related employment regulations governing the security industry.
The PSA, responsible for enforcing compliance with employment standards and security regulations, imposes sanctions in response to breaches, ranging from warnings and suspensions to reprimands and licence revocations, depending on the severity of the breach. However, the specific details of BGS Security Ltd's non-compliance with pay and employment laws have not been detailed in the available sanctions report.
The revocation of BGS Security Ltd's licence signifies serious or repeated violations, but the exact nature of these breaches remains unclear. The company's clients include Centra, Spar, and Supervalu stores in Dublin.
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has awarded over €30,000 to security officer Kipkorir Francis Kiptoo for non-payment of wages by BGS Security Ltd. In a case heard by the WRC, Mr Kiptoo was awarded €32,713.96, which includes €2,000 for a breach of the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 in BGSS's failure to provide a satisfactory contract of employment.
The WRC adjudicator, Michael McEntee, wrote that the case was one of numerous being taken by former employees against BGS Security Ltd. Mr Cotter, Mr Kiptoo's representative from the Independent Workers' Union (IWU), submitted payslips, work rosters, and records of wages in support of a payment liability of €4,213.96 on the part of BGSS.
BGS Security Ltd has won 16 employment rights claims against it in the past 18 months, with total awards against the company now standing at over €140,000. Today's decision brings the total due to former BGSS staff on foot of findings of employment rights breaches since May 2024 to €140,560.71.
The WRC adjudicator noted that the company was on notice of the "time, date, and place" of the hearing and had failed to present any "bona fide explanations" for failing to attend. The adjudicator ordered BGS Security to pay Mr Kiptoo €26,500 as compensation for noncompliance with the employment regulation order in breach of the Industrial Relations Act 1946.
It is understood that at least two more former employees of the company are to have cases heard by the WRC in the coming weeks. Mr Cotter claimed that BGSS "effectively ignored the requirements of the employment regulations order (ERO)" for the security sector, and had suffered an "egregious breach of statutory rights".
Mr McEntee wrote that the national system of employment regulation orders is meant to be a safeguard for workers and to law-abiding employers. The company's noncompliance with these orders has resulted in significant financial penalties and the revocation of its licence, underscoring the importance of adhering to employment laws and regulations.
- Due to repeated violations of employment regulations and pay laws, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has issued financial penalties to BGS Security Ltd, totaling over €140,000 in the past 18 months alone.
- In the business world, adherence to employment laws and regulations is crucial; the revocation of BGS Security Ltd's licence is a strong reminder of the financial consequences faced by companies that ignore employment regulations orders.
