Courts / Dublin / Report
'Meant to be the safest place for a woman to work': Rotunda porter found to have sexually harassed teen colleague kept on staff, tribunal told
Summary
The Workplace Relations Commission heard complaints of constructive dismissal and gender discrimination against the Rotunda Hospital, brought by Kaitlyn Winston. The hospital's head of human resources, Joanne Connolly, admitted that a porter, identified as Mr G under a reporting restriction, was found to have sexually harassed Ms Winston in May 2022. Despite this finding, the hospital retained him on staff, issuing only a final written warning and transferring him to general duties with restrictions. Ms Winston alleged she remained in reasonable fear of further harassment after encountering Mr G in a stairwell in 2023. Her line manager, Jane Hickey, testified she was not informed the complaint was upheld and denied bias, stating she was unaware it was unsafe to keep the porter in her department. The hospital's general secretary, Jim Hussey, chaired the disciplinary process. The complainant's counsel argued the hospital failed to provide a safe environment, while the hospital's representative, Mark Comerford, stated the actions aligned with dignity at work policies. The adjudicator, Catherine Byrne, closed the hearing and is expected to issue a written decision in due course.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Meant to be the safest place for a woman to work': Rotunda porter found to have sexually harassed teen colleague kept on staff, tribunal told. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- 3 May 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-07-24 Publication
Why: Ms Winston said asked for a formal process instead because she had been informed by Mr G's line manager that the porter was "denying it to the ground". CNI source report
Case subjects
Respondent
Places mentioned
- The Rotunda Hospital
- The hospital
Topics
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