Courts / Kilkenny / Report

Volunteer who spent decades helping the disabled without salary wins €61k for unfair dismissal

Summary

John Clark, a volunteer in his 70s who worked for 38 years at Camphill Communities of Ireland, was dismissed after the HSE takeover in 2017. He had never received a salary, relying on a credit‑card system that covered his personal and community expenses. Clark claimed the charity had unfairly terminated his engagement, leaving him with only a state pension and support from his partner and housemates. He argued that the dismissal was not a redundancy and that the charity failed to follow fair procedures. The Workplace Relations Commission found that Camphill had breached the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 and the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994. Clark was awarded €60,000 for loss of earnings and €1,000 for the contract breach, but no redundancy payment was granted. The decision confirmed his entitlement to pursue employment rights claims.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Volunteer who spent decades helping the disabled without salary wins €61k for unfair dismissal. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• 28 March 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 2018 Other
• 2024-03-08 Publication

Why: His evidence was that the average the charity spent on volunteer expenses, including food and lodgings, was €15,000 a year – but that he would have drawn more because of the nature of his work. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

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Read the original CNI report