Courts / Kerry / Report
Care worker who had job terminated after saying she planned to quit wins €6k for unfair dismissal
Summary
Mairead Hanlon, a physical‑activity project worker at North Kerry Day Centre Ltd, earned €15 an hour for a 20‑hour week. In October 2023 she testified at an employment tribunal that she did not intend to return to work, while she was on sick leave for significant stress. The centre had asked her to transfer to a care home for elderly dementia patients for two weeks to cover staff absences caused by Covid‑19. Hanlon argued the instruction was a fundamental change to her contract, which required her to work in the community. The centre's grievance process upheld the complaint, but the WRC rejected it on preliminary grounds because the complaint was filed too late. In a second WRC case, the centre accepted her resignation after she had not formally resigned. The adjudicator found the dismissal was unfair, awarding Hanlon €6,500.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Care worker who had job terminated after saying she planned to quit wins €6k for unfair dismissal. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- October 17, 2023 Other
- October 17 Hearing Or Sentence
- 17 October 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-02-28 Publication
Why: The company's position was that this was just for two weeks, in order to cover staff absences – the WRC being told that it was short on staff because of Covid-19. CNI source report
Case subjects
Applicant
Places mentioned
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