The Workplace Relations Commission awarded a veterinary inspector €6,800 after finding that poor communication during a prolonged parental-leave process caused considerable distress. The decision was dated 30 March 2016.
The employee requested 12 weeks of parental leave, saying the initial refusal left him unable to plan childcare and accommodation. The department said it struggled to find a suitably qualified replacement and that its People Point system required an initial yes-or-no answer. It eventually granted the leave on 31 December 2015, starting on 6 January 2016.
The officer found formal communications and consultations were poor or almost non-existent during the process, and that uncertainty caused considerable distress. The complaint about granting the leave fell because the request had been met; the complaint about the handling of the process was well founded. The officer also recommended that the department review its recruitment communications and selection processes.