Former model and company director Ms Samantha Hutton has been restrained by the High Court from sacking four Brazilian nationals or evicting them from accommodation provided by her firm.
Ms Neusa da Silva Resende, a cleaner with Ms Hutton's company, At Hand Cleaning Services Ltd, told Mr Justice Murphy she had been recruited in Brazil and had been promised free travel and a monthly pay cheque of €1,523 together with accommodation.
When she had taken up work she had been paid only €949 a month, the company attempted to recoup travel expenses and she and her friends had to work 12 hours a day without breaks.
Mr Oisin Quinn, counsel for Ms da Silva, said Ms Hutton's firm had purported to dismiss his client and three of her relatives and put them out of their accommodation at The Rise, Kingswood Heights, Dublin, simply because they had consulted solicitor Mr Donal Taffe about pay and conditions.
He said they had never received pay slips or any information relating to tax or deductions required by law.
None of them had received holiday pay or annual leave entitlement.
Occasionally Ms da Silva was required to work without a break from 8 a.m. through to 2 a.m. the following day.
Ms da Silva said she and two sisters and a brother-in-law had to work in "extremely harsh and exhausting" conditions cleaning offices for company clients Hibernia Computer Services, Ballsbridge; Golden Vale, Tallaght; UPVC Windows, Clondalkin; JVC Recycling, Cookstown Industrial Estate, and St Margaret's Golf Club, Dublin.
She said Ms Hutton applied increasing pressure to do more and more work and when told that Mr Taffe was being consulted she threatened to dismiss and evict them.
Mr Justice Murphy temporarily restrained At Hand Cleaning Services Ltd, St Patrick's Park, Clondalkin, from dismissing or evicting Ms da Silva or her relatives.