PwC employee secretly worked from India instead of his Dublin office. Here's what happened next

A former employee of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has lost his unfair dismissal claim after an Irish workplace tribunal ruled that he breached company policy by working remotely from India without authorisation while he was contractually required to be based in Dublin, according to a report in The Irish Times.

The case, heard by Ireland’s Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), involved Jasch Asher, a senior associate in PwC’s assurance practice, who joined the firm’s Dublin office in February 2022. According to the tribunal, Asher left Ireland in September 2024 and continued working from India for several weeks without informing the company or seeking approval.

During the hearing, Asher argued that he had received authorisation to work remotely after relocating to India. However, PwC disputed this claim, stating that the employee failed to produce any written evidence supporting his assertion.

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The company maintained that Asher’s employment contract clearly specified Dublin as his normal place of work. While PwC offered hybrid working arrangements, employees were expected to attend the office two to three days a week on average. The firm’s “Together Anywhere” policy also allowed employees to work overseas for up to 30 days in 12 months, but only with prior approval.

PwC became suspicious after Asher repeatedly avoided attending office meetings. According to evidence presented before the WRC, his manager scheduled a performance-related meeting at the Dublin office, but Asher cancelled at short notice, claiming he was unwell.

An internal review later examined his attendance records and IP address data, which showed that he had been accessing company systems from India since September 30, 2024.

Initially, Asher reportedly denied being outside Ireland and claimed he was working from his Dublin residence. He later admitted that he had been in India but said he could not return because the landlord of his rented accommodation in Dublin was selling the property.

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Following the discovery, PwC suspended Asher’s system access and placed him on paid leave while conducting an investigation. The company later concluded that he had no intention of returning to Ireland and treated his conduct as a rejection of his employment contract.

Workplace Relations Commission adjudication officer Niamh O’Carroll ruled in favour of PwC, finding that the employee had fundamentally breached a key term of his contract.

The adjudicator noted that Asher was fully aware of the company’s overseas working restrictions and had neither sought nor obtained permission to relocate permanently to India. She concluded that his refusal to return to Ireland was not temporary and dismissed his claim for unfair dismissal, stating that he “was the author of his own predicament.”