Courts / Donegal / Report
Department store ordered to pay worker discriminated against due to post natal depression
Summary
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.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Department store ordered to pay worker discriminated against due to post natal depression. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- May 2021 Other
- 12 July Other
- September 2021 Other
- 2023-03-14 Publication
Why: Ms Murray said she had been on maternity leave up to May 2021 and had been hoping to get more hours – but that because of a bout of post-natal depression, she had to turn down a shift on 12 July that year when the business was preparing to reopen after a period of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. CNI source report
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