Unnamed cleaner wins €10,000 for gender discrimination and harassment

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

An unnamed cleaner won €10,000 after the Workplace Relations Commission found he had experienced harassment and discrimination on grounds of gender and had been discriminatorily dismissed. The decision was dated 11 June 2024.

The former soldier worked for a cleaning contractor at a Dublin army barracks. During lunch, his supervisor, an area manager identified as Ms A, expressed romantic interest in him. He declined, and within weeks she began criticising his performance and his choice of form-fitting cycling leggings.

After completing probation, the cleaner was informed it was being extended and was dismissed the next day. He argued that he was dismissed because he rejected Ms A’s advances. The employer denied harassment and said the dismissal was due to poor performance and conduct.

Adjudication officer Valerie Murtagh preferred the worker’s evidence. She found the alleged performance issues were spurious and arose only after the rejection; the employer’s documentation was not persuasive. She found the dismissal was not unconnected with the harassment.