Courts / Ireland / Report

Cleaner who was told there was 'no work' after maternity leave wins compensation

Date
2022-11-21
Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Summary

Dawn O'Brien, a cleaner employed by Eco‑swift Environmental Services since October 2018, secured €7,000 in compensation and orders for unpaid wages, holiday pay, and other employment‑law breaches after her maternity leave in November 2020. When she attempted to return, she was told there was "no work" and later dismissed in June 2021, allegedly for Covid reasons. O'Brien claimed she never received outstanding pay, including holiday and notice pay, and that her employer had no position for her to return to, despite the fact that a replacement had been hired directly by a client for the same work. The Workplace Relations Commission found a clear breach of the Maternity Protection Act 1994 and the Employment Equality Act 1998, ruling that O'Brien was discriminatorily dismissed on gender grounds.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Cleaner who was told there was 'no work' after maternity leave wins compensation. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

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