A PwC senior associate who relocated to India without authorisation and refused to return to Dublin has lost his unfair dismissal case, Ireland's Workplace Relations Commission has ruled.
Jasch Asher, whose contract required him to work from PwC's office at North Wall Quay, began working remotely from India on 30 September 2024 despite having already exhausted the firm's 30-day overseas remote work allowance. He admitted to human resources in November 2024 that he had been based in India and had no intention of returning to Ireland, prompting his dismissal.
Adjudication officer Niamh O'Carroll dismissed Asher's complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, finding that he had repudiated his employment contract. The WRC concluded that PwC had substantial grounds for termination due to his refusal to comply with contractual obligations, a ruling first reported in Irish media on Wednesday and noted internationally.