Labour Court rejects Penneys worker’s appeal over full-time posts

The Labour Court rejected a part-time retail sales assistant’s appeal for compensation over unsuccessful applications for full-time posts at Penneys. It concurred with the Rights Commissioner’s recommendation. The decision was signed on 29 June 2011. The worker, represented by Mandate, said Penneys had denied her interviews and the chance to increase her earnings. The company said her applications were considered fairly and she was not shortlisted because there were many applicants for few vacancies. The Court found that different selection processes had caused confusion but that Penneys had not acted in bad faith. It noted the company had since introduced a more transparent process acceptable to the union and that the worker had received more hours since September 2009. The Court found no merit in the compensation claim.