Courts / Cork / Report

Hairdresser 'summarily dismissed' from UCC student centre

Date
2023-01-24

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Cork

County
Cork

Summary

The Workplace Relations Commission has found that Student Facilities & Services (UCC) DAC, trading as Unisalon at the Student Centre at University College Cork, unlawfully dismissed Tracey Ring. The adjudicating officer, Lefre de Burgh, upheld complaints brought under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 and the Minimum Notice & Terms of Employment Act 1973. The tribunal determined that the employer's conduct was "entirely unreasonable" and "unlawful," finding that Ms Ring was dismissed summarily without notice or adherence to fair procedures. The respondent, represented by general manager Terry Brennan, had denied the complaints, asserting that Ms Ring was "laid off" rather than dismissed and that all owed wages had been paid. However, the adjudicating officer rejected this, noting that the employer failed to follow standard termination practices or provide a redundancy payment. The decision ordered the employer to pay Ms Ring €1,920 for unfair dismissal and €480 in notice pay, totalling €2,400. This finalisation concludes the hearing, with the tribunal's findings establishing that the dismissal was neither substantively nor procedurally fair.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Hairdresser 'summarily dismissed' from UCC student centre. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

March 2020 Other
September 2020 Other
July 2021 Incident
September 2021 Incident
August 2021 Other
3 September 2021 Other
September 24, 2021 Other
July 2018 Other
2023-01-24 Publication

Why: By August 2021 the following year, Mr Brennan said it was clear the salon's business had collapsed, with turnover dropping from €76,000 to just €20,000 because of the restrictions. CNI source report