Courts / Kildare / Report

School books too heavy for sales rep, tribunal told

Date
2024-10-09
Stage
Trial
Primary locality
Naas
County
Kildare

Summary

Edco denies discrimination after Mary Tracy, a sales rep with lupus SLE, was told she could not stay in her role because medical advice limited her to lifting no more than 3 kg. Tracy claims the company's sales model required her to carry multiple textbooks—some up to 2.7 kg—into schools, causing flare‑ups. She alleges the employer failed to disclose the manual handling demands during her interview and that she was "managed out" after management adopted the 3 kg restriction. Edco argues the restriction made the job impossible and that any workaround, such as a trolley, would disadvantage the company. The WRC heard evidence from both sides, including a proposed role change that Tracy rejected, and noted her dismissal on 22 August 2023. The tribunal will conclude the hearing on Thursday.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: School books too heavy for sales rep, tribunal told. Procedural stage: trial

When:

Why: School book publisher Edco has denied discriminating against a sales rep after she was told she could not stay in her job because medical advice telling her not to lift more than 3kg meant its textbooks were too heavy for her to carry more than one at a time. CNI source report

Case subjects

Mary Tracy

Applicant

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

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