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Bord Gáis engineer unfairly dismissed over side work allegations wins €5k

Summary

In June 2025 the Workplace Relations Commission awarded Kieran O'Leary €5,289.08 after he was dismissed by Bord Gáis in January 2024. O'Leary, a €60,000‑a‑year service engineer, claimed he had been unfairly sacked for allegedly offering to do side work for customers. He said he had never accepted cash from any customer and that the complaints were based on misunderstandings about his contract's competition clause. O'Leary presented evidence that he had only offered services outside work hours and that any parts he used were his own. The adjudicator found no logical reason to believe the customers fabricated complaints, noted that the 2022 complaint had not led to any action, and upheld O'Leary's claim for compensation under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. The decision was made in a hearing that considered the procedural history of the complaints and the company's investigation.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Bord Gáis engineer unfairly dismissed over side work allegations wins €5k. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• January 2024 Other
• April 2022 Incident
• February 2023 Other
• March 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
• July 2023 Other
• 2022 and 2023 Other
• 2025-06-24 Publication

Why: You wouldn't be able to leave the boiler on, because it wouldn't be sealed," Mr O'Leary said. CNI source report

Case subjects

Topics

Stage Trial

Read the original CNI report