A landmark Workplace Relations Commission ruling ordering an Irish family to pay more than €9,000 to their au pair, could lead to thousands of foreign workers making claims.

The Spanish au pair was awarded the pay out, after it emerged she had been paid €100 a week by her host family.

The Workplace Relations Commission claimed the payment amounted to less than the minimum wage.

The Irish Examiner reports that under the ruling, an au pair has been established beyond doubt to be an employee like any other and therefore entitled to the minimum wage, holidays, rest periods, and other employment protections.

Sean Kavanagh is the Director of SK Dublin Language Programmes - an organisation that places students in an au pair and language programmes here - and he says yesterday's case sets a precedent for the future payment.

He said: "Families are in a difficult position now in that any au pair could theoretically take a case throught the WRC against the family looking for minimum wage.

"That's a terrible situation for families to be in and for agencies, etc. If there is a real fear that this would happen, we could see thousands of families letting their au pairs go next week."