Courts / Dublin / Report

'Utterly bizarre and disingenuous': Tesco must pay €40k to worker let go due to vision impairment

Date
2025-01-30
Stage
Hearing Or Decision
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

Tesco Ireland Ltd was ordered to pay €40,000 to Karen Rice after the Workplace Relations Commission found that the supermarket had dismissed her in October 2023 without providing reasonable accommodation for her vision impairment. Rice, who had suffered an aneurysm that severely affected her sight, had been on long‑term sick leave since June 2020 and had not been examined by a company doctor for two and a half years. The company ignored a 2021 recommendation that she see a consultant ophthalmologist and instead relied on a June 2023 occupational health report from an unqualified employee that claimed no adjustments could be made. The tribunal described the report as "utterly bizarre and disingenuous" and ruled that Tesco's failure to seek further medical opinion or to provide accommodation constituted disability discrimination and a discriminatory dismissal. The award was made at the maximum jurisdiction of the WRC.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Utterly bizarre and disingenuous': Tesco must pay €40k to worker let go due to vision impairment. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

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Stage Hearing Or Decision

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