Labour Court raises John B Dockrell Limited worker’s settlement to €2,000

The Labour Court varied a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation and directed John B Dockrell Limited to pay a worker €2,000 in full and final settlement of her claim. The Court’s decision was dated 9 September 2005, replacing the earlier €1,000 recommendation. The company said it dismissed the worker for misconduct after she sat on a handrail in a dangerous position. She accepted sitting there but disputed the company’s account of the exchange and said she was victimised after complaining about the Farm Manager. The Court accepted the need to enforce safety rules but found that the employer’s perception of her conduct was inaccurate: it had not asked whether she understood the seriousness of the breach, and unrelated emotive issues clouded the meeting.