Department store ordered to pay worker discriminated against due to post natal depression

The Workplace Relations Commission has ordered Edward Slevin & Co Ltd, trading as Slevins Department Store in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, to pay €5,500 in compensation for discriminatory dismissal. The adjudicating officer found that a worker had been discriminated against on grounds of disability relating to post-natal depression. The complainant alleged she was denied hours of work in July 2021 following her maternity leave, after informing management of her illness. The store's owner disputed that a dismissal had occurred, characterising the matter as a miscommunication between staff. The adjudicating officer determined that whilst dismissal may not have been intentional, the complainant was deprived of employment and income through discrimination based on her disability. The officer noted deficiencies in the respondent's handling of employment law and disability rights, and structured the compensation to include a deterrent element.