WRC awards medical secretary €20,000 after finding she was victimised

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

The Workplace Relations Commission found that Veronica Makunike was victimised by Mary Street Medical Centre after raising concerns about her maternity rights. Adjudicator Seamus Clinton said a manager’s account of a phone call with Makunike was biased and did not reflect the discussion. Her earlier discrimination claims were out of time for a ruling.

Clinton concluded that the call and the employer’s later reluctance to engage a mediator were adverse treatment in reaction to Makunike’s protected acts. He said she had been left without a realistic return-to-work option and resigned after nearly a year in limbo. The WRC ordered the clinic to pay €20,000 in compensation.