WRC awards €10,415 to worker dismissed during pregnancy

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

A Workplace Relations Commission adjudicator found Claudia O’Connor’s dismissal by Bretland Construction was not wholly unconnected with her pregnancy and was tainted with discrimination. The WRC awarded her €10,415 in compensation, plus €873 for admitted breaches of the Terms of Employment Information Act and €201 for unpaid annual leave.

Adjudicator Máire Mulcahy said the company had no evidence that O’Connor was told of performance concerns before she disclosed her pregnancy. The firm had begun a performance improvement plan but abandoned it and dismissed her within seven weeks, without giving the reason in writing. The adjudicator accepted that O’Connor had difficulty performing essential parts of the job, while finding the dismissal was not wholly unconnected with her pregnancy.