Courts / Ireland / Report

Employee sacked after HR chief recorded him on phone call wins €10k

Summary

Thomas Delaney, who had worked for NSP Expert Lab Solutions for over eight years, was dismissed in May 2024 after a phone conversation with the company's HR chief was recorded and later sent to the CEO. Delaney claimed the call was confidential and that he had not consented to its recording. He represented himself at a Workplace Relations Commission hearing in August 2024, arguing that the disciplinary process was flawed, lacked transparency, and gave him no chance to respond to allegations. The company's solicitor argued that the recording constituted a protected disclosure and that the dismissal for gross misconduct was justified. The tribunal found that Delaney had been denied a fair hearing, awarded €10,000 in compensation for loss of earnings, and noted his 14‑week period of unemployment without evidence of job‑search efforts.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Employee sacked after HR chief recorded him on phone call wins €10k. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• May 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• August 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2025-07-11 Publication

Why: Representing himself at a WRC hearing in August 2024, he explained that he was "off on stress leave" at the time of the call and said that he "vented" frustrations over the phone. CNI source report

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report