Courts / Clare / Report

Worker of 18 years service entitled to refuse lengthy commute by bus

Date
2022-07-08

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Ennis

County
Clare

Summary

A catering worker with 18 years of service at the Roche factory in Clarecastle, Co Clare, has been awarded a redundancy payment of over €15,000 after the Workplace Relations Commission ruled it was reasonable for her to refuse a transfer that would have required a lengthy commute by bus. Niamh Ryan's claim under the Redundancy Payments Act was upheld, with the commission finding that the proposed move would have involved significant extra travel time, costs, and disruption to her personal life. The company, Corporate Catering Services Ltd, argued that Ms Ryan unreasonably refused two offers of alternative employment, including a role in Bunratty and a position working across two sites. However, the adjudicating officer noted that the new location would have required significant extra travel time, possibly different shifts, and disruption to her personal life, with no compensation offered for the inconvenience.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Worker of 18 years service entitled to refuse lengthy commute by bus. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

March 2020 Other
23 January 2020 Other
5 March Other
26 March 2020 Other
7 April Other
2022-07-08 Publication

Why: The company's case was that there was a "substantial reduction" in its catering requirements because of downsizing at the Roche site in Clarecastle ahead of its planned closure in March 2020. CNI source report