Courts / Ireland / Report

Manager sacked over clash with employee who posted 'No Irish need apply' sign to receive €55k

Summary

A newly‑hired HR manager was dismissed while still on probation from an unnamed research foundation after a long‑serving employee, Ms X, refused to cooperate and posted large‑print signs in the reception area, including one that read "No Irish need apply." The manager, who was the only non‑Irish person on the administrative staff, claimed she was "steadfastly resisted" and that the board failed to support her during her probation review in October 2022. Ms X, described as a "law unto herself," had a history of rude and abusive behaviour toward senior board members and had previously encouraged women to be "aggressive, difficult and complicated." The Workplace Relations Commission found the dismissal unfair, noting that the posters were a form of harassment and that the board should have taken disciplinary action. The adjudicator, Michael McEntee, recommended the former employer pay the manager €55,000, equivalent to one year's salary, as compensation for the unfair dismissal.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Manager sacked over clash with employee who posted 'No Irish need apply' sign to receive €55k. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• 3 October 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2023-12-13 Publication

Why: A newly-hired HR manager sacked because she couldn't "get on" with a long-serving employee, who was a "law unto herself" and posted "bizarre" signs in the workplace such as "No Irish need apply", should receive €55,000 in compensation for unfair dismissal. CNI source report

Case subjects

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report