Lionbridge ordered to pay Caroline O’Connell €142,984 for unfair dismissal

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Irish arm of Lionbridge has been ordered to pay former EMEA managing director Caroline O’Connell €142,984 after the company conceded her unfair dismissal claim. WRC adjudicator Breiffni O’Neill found that sum represented her losses due to the dismissal and awarded her the full amount.

O’Connell had worked at the firm for 24 years. In a 2025 WRC hearing, she said she learned through a company newsletter in July 2024 that her role had changed and that she had been demoted. Her employer later conceded the unfair dismissal, leaving the level of redress for the adjudicator to decide.

The adjudicator rejected Lionbridge’s argument that O’Connell had not taken reasonable steps to find new work, citing her seniority and the limited number of suitable openings. He also ruled that the €30,000 statutory redundancy payment she had already received should not be deducted from the award.