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Ex-Astronomy Ireland employee who said finance work was taken away when she 'started to ask questions' wins €2k for rights breaches

Summary

The Workplace Relations Commission awarded Nicole Doyle, a former administrator at Astronomy Ireland, €2,153.88 in compensation for employment rights breaches. Doyle, who worked in Ballycoolin, Dublin 11, between July 2022 and February 2023, alleged that the organisation failed to provide written contractual statements as required by the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994. She claimed her financial responsibilities were removed after she questioned the legality of certain operations and that she was subjected to a non-disclosure agreement. Astronomy Ireland failed to enter an appearance before the tribunal in February. Adjudicating officer Roger McGrath found that the burden of proof lay with the employer to disprove the claims, which it failed to do due to its absence. The adjudicator upheld all three complaints, finding breaches regarding the failure to provide a core written statement within five days, a more expansive statement within 30 days, and written notification of changes to terms. Doyle was accompanied by Sonya Martin, her former line manager, who stated she witnessed similar grievances and is pursuing her own workplace rights claim. The decision resulted in an award of four weeks' pay as compensation for the established breaches.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Ex-Astronomy Ireland employee who said finance work was taken away when she 'started to ask questions' wins €2k for rights breaches. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• July 2022 Other
• February 2023 Other
• 2024-05-07 Publication

Why: An ex-employee of Astronomy Ireland who said she was stripped of responsibility for financial matters because she "started to ask questions" and was later asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement has won over €2,000 for employment rights breaches. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

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Stage Hearing Or Decision

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Read the original CNI report