Courts / Ireland / Report

HSE 'makes it easy' for sex harassers, tribunal agrees

Summary

The Workplace Relations Commission found that the Health Service Executive (HSE) failed to protect a junior pharmacist from repeated sexual harassment by a senior pharmacist in his late 40s. The harassment began in May 2023 and included inappropriate remarks, sexual images and repeated contact after a formal complaint. The senior pharmacist was not suspended for over a year and remained in his role. The junior pharmacist had to take stress‑related sick leave twice and was repeatedly moved to new work locations. The HSE's internal investigation cleared the senior pharmacist, but the WRC adjudicator ruled that the HSE had taken only minimal steps to safeguard the complainant. The HSE was held liable for discrimination under the Employment Equality Act 1998 and awarded the complainant €86,717 in compensation, equivalent to a year's gross pay. The adjudicator also directed the HSE to disregard the claimant's stress‑related leave when calculating sick leave entitlements.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: HSE 'makes it easy' for sex harassers, tribunal agrees. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• May 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• April 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• 20 June 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 2025 Other
• 2025-11-11 Publication

Why: Meanwhile, the junior employee had been "shuffled around" at work and had to resort to taking stress-related sick leave because her harasser had continued to contact her even after being ordered not to. CNI source report

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report