WRC awards former worker €6,000 over redundancy during maternity leave

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

The Workplace Relations Commission upheld Joanne Kennedy’s unfair dismissal complaint against Stradbally Ladders Ltd, finding that the company breached maternity protections when it made her redundant at the end of her protective leave. Adjudication officer Peter O’Brien awarded her €6,000 in compensation, in addition to a redundancy payment of almost €6,000.

O’Brien found that a genuine redundancy situation existed, but said the company still had a legal obligation to allow Kennedy return to work after maternity leave. He also found that the company had not engaged with alternatives to redundancy.