Labour Court recommends clearing Peamount Hospital worker’s disciplinary record

The Labour Court recommended that Peamount Hospital close a disciplinary case against a worker and remove references to it from her personnel and disciplinary records. The decision was signed on 16 September 2010. The worker, represented by the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union, appealed a Rights Commissioner recommendation that her claim was not well founded. She had said the hospital investigated complaints unfairly and imposed a disproportionate sanction; the hospital said it had investigated fairly and that the sanction was reasonable. The Court found shortcomings in the disciplinary process that raised doubt about its outcome. It said a fresh investigation would serve no useful purpose because the written warning would have expired and the matter would no longer appear on the worker’s records. It also recommended that the hospital review its disciplinary procedure.