Courts / Ireland / Report

Royal College of Physicians must pay €14.5k for unfair sacking of single mum of three

Summary

A single mother of three, Monsurat Balogun, has been awarded €14,500 in compensation after being unfairly dismissed from her administrative role at the Royal College of Physicians (RCPI). Ms Balogun, a project co-ordinator, was sacked in March 2025 on the grounds of 'serious performance failings'. However, the RCPI admitted during a hearing that the dismissal was unfair on procedural grounds. Ms Balogun described the emotional toll of the dismissal, including the impact on her children, who had to be removed from after-school activities due to financial strain. She also faced challenges in finding new work in her field, as she felt unable to seek a reference from her former employer. Ms Balogun had to change her career path and complete additional training to become a healthcare assistant. The adjudication officer, Penelope McGrath, acknowledged that while the RCPI identified performance issues, the dismissal process was flawed. The RCPI admitted the process was 'bad' but maintained that the dismissal was justified. Ms Balogun made efforts to find new work, and the adjudicator noted her determination despite the challenges she faced.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Royal College of Physicians must pay €14.5k for unfair sacking of single mum of three. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• March 2025 Hearing Or Sentence
• September 2025 Other
• 2026-07-16 Publication

Why: Ms Balogun said that after her sacking, she was left "having to explain to my kids having to pull them out of their afterschool activities" because "I couldn't afford it". CNI source report

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report