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Worker left jobless again when ex-employer refused to fill out reference form without explanation awarded €40k

Summary

A company, Brendan Vacations Ireland Ltd, has been ordered to pay €40,789 to a former employee, Shulammite Awotundun, after she was unfairly made redundant and later lost another job due to the company's failure to complete a reference questionnaire. Awotundun was let go from her position as a travel consultant on Christmas Eve 2024, despite having a job offer by February 2025. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found the redundancy was unfair, citing a lack of genuine grounds and procedural flaws. After being made redundant, Awotundun was unable to secure a new job because Brendan Vacations did not complete the reference questionnaire requested by her new employer. The company's failure to communicate its policy of only providing a statement of service led the new employer to draw adverse inferences, resulting in Awotundun losing the job. The WRC adjudicator, Breiffni O'Neill, ruled that the company's actions were a direct cause of Awotundun's financial losses.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Worker left jobless again when ex-employer refused to fill out reference form without explanation awarded €40k. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• February 2025 Other
• March 2023 Other
• August 2024 Other
• Tuesday 24 March Other
• Thursday 3 April 2025 Other
• 28 April Other
• December 2024 Other
• April 2025 Other
• May 2025 Other
• Christmas Eve 2024 Other
• 2026-05-20 Publication

Why: The company followed an "entirely legitimate" policy of issuing only a statement of service and giving the reason for the worker's employment coming to an end, Mr O'Neill wrote. CNI source report

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Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report