Courts / Waterford / Report
Supervisor who denied telling worker 'you're not Irish, you're black' loses WRC case
Summary
In a Workplace Relations Commission hearing, the tribunal upheld the dismissal of Annette Ryan, a part‑time evening shift supervisor at Waterford Hospital's catering team, after she denied allegations of racial abuse and bullying. Ryan was sacked in September 2023 following complaints from four subordinates that she had used a racially charged remark, "you're not Irish, you're black," and other discriminatory language. She maintained that the accusations were fabricated, claiming she had never made such remarks and that she had worked with colleagues from diverse backgrounds for 13 years. The tribunal found that the employer, Campbell Catering Ltd trading as Aramark, had reached credible and reasonable conclusions during its disciplinary process, and that Ryan's dismissal was fair under the circumstances. The decision was made after Ryan's repeated denials and lack of mitigating explanations during the investigation and hearing. The tribunal dismissed her complaint and confirmed the fairness of the sanction.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Supervisor who denied telling worker 'you're not Irish, you're black' loses WRC case. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- September 2023 Other
- July 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
- August 2023 Other
- August 17th Other
- 30 August 2023 Other
- 15 September 2023 Other
- 2025-06-10 Publication
Why: She wholly denied all of the allegations made against her, including complaints that she decided to change one worker's name to "Tom" because she "didn't speak his 'lingo'," and that she insulted another worker with references to their "fat ass". CNI source report
Places mentioned
- Waterford
- Waterford Hospital
Topics
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