Courts / Kildare / Report
Edco ordered to pay €64k after deciding condition meant saleswoman wasn't capable of heavy schoolbooks role
Summary
In a decision by the Workplace Relations Commission, Edco was ordered to pay €64,000 to Mary Tracy after dismissing her in June 2023 for failing to meet the weight requirements of her sales role. Tracy, who suffers from systemic lupus erythematosus, had a medical limit of 3 kg for manual handling. Edco's books, each weighing 2.7 kg, required her to carry multiple volumes to schools, a task the company deemed impossible for her. The commission found that Edco failed to provide reasonable accommodation and discriminated against Tracy under the Employment Equality Act 1998. The award comprised €29,000 for lack of accommodation and €35,000 for unlawful dismissal, totaling €64,000. The case highlights the employer's obligation to adapt duties for employees with disabilities.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Edco ordered to pay €64k after deciding condition meant saleswoman wasn't capable of heavy schoolbooks role. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- June 2023 Other
- January 2023 Other
- April 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 2023 Other
- 20 June 2023 Other
- 22 August 2023 Other
- 2025-01-20 Publication
Why: Publisher Edco has been ordered to pay €64,000 to a saleswoman after deciding her rheumatological condition meant it was not "viable" for her to continue in the job because of the weight of the books she was selling. CNI source report
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