Courts / Ireland / Report

Care worker wins €40k over sex harrasment

Summary

A care worker at a nursing home for dementia patients claimed she was repeatedly subjected to unwanted intimate physical touching by a supervisor who often worked while drunk. She reported the incidents to the Workplace Relations Commission, citing a first incident on 30 December 2022 when the supervisor hugged her and rubbed her breast in front of patients, and a second on 24 February 2023 when he touched her buttocks while assisting a resident. The worker also found an empty rum bottle in the supervisor's bag and recorded it. The employer's internal investigation deemed the complaints unfounded, citing lack of evidence and witnesses. The WRC adjudicator found the worker's evidence persuasive and credible, ruling that she was sexually harassed on two occasions and suffered constructive dismissal. The tribunal awarded €25,000 for sexual harassment and €15,000 for constructive dismissal, totaling €40,000.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Care worker wins €40k over sex harrasment. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• 30 December 2022 Incident
• 24 February 2023 Incident
• January 2023 Other
• 2024-07-29 Publication

Why: "The first time that I made a written a complaint about his drinking, I was told that because I had no proof, he could not be accused of doing this," the worker stated in her complaint form to the Workplace Relations Commission. CNI source report

Case subjects

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial

Read the original CNI report