The Labour Court upheld a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation on disciplinary penalties for a stagehand at Radio Telefís Éireann, but increased his unpaid suspension from two weeks to three. The decision was signed on 30 June 1998.
The worker had been disciplined after a serious verbal assault on a supervisor. The original penalties included six weeks’ unpaid suspension, 12 months’ probation and a final written warning. The Rights Commissioner recommended reducing the suspension to two weeks and replacing the final warning with a written warning if the worker’s service was satisfactory. Radio Telefís Éireann appealed that recommendation.
The worker argued that fair procedures had not been followed, including because a manager involved in the investigation sat on the disciplinary panel. The company said the incident was serious and the penalties were justified.
The Court agreed with the Rights Commissioner on fair procedures, citing statements withheld from the worker and the line manager’s role on the panel. It accepted the recommendation to amend the penalties, but found two weeks’ suspension inadequate for the serious offence and increased it to three weeks.