Courts / Ireland / Report

Coca Cola ordered to pay €68k to marketer demoted after maternity leave

Summary

Lisa Deveney, a former premium spirits marketing manager at Coca Cola HBC Ireland Ltd, claimed she was bullied into accepting a demotion to a junior lead role after returning from her second maternity leave in January 2024. She said the company had denied her return to her previous position and offered a new role that she felt was a demotion, citing differences in responsibility, strategic versus operational duties, and lack of budget management. Deveney suffered an acute stress reaction and a panic attack, ultimately resigning in March 2024. The Workplace Relations Commission found Coca Cola in breach of the Employment Equality Act 1998, awarding Deveney €68,000 in compensation for gender‑based maternity discrimination. The tribunal concluded the new role was a demotion and that the employer had decided to move her without offering alternatives.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Coca Cola ordered to pay €68k to marketer demoted after maternity leave. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• January 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• 22 January Other
• Monday 22 January Other
• Tuesday 23rd January Incident
• March 2024 Incident
• 2025-06-18 Publication

Why: He explained that he planned to meet with Ms Deveney about the role prior to making a formal offer, but was "incredibly busy" the day she returned to work on Monday 22 January. CNI source report

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report