The WRC found that a warehouse manager was unfairly dismissed and directed a services company to pay him €20,000. The decision was dated 17 November 2017.
The manager left the warehouse for about 20 minutes after receiving an urgent call about a potentially dangerous situation at home. Four other employees went with him. The company said he left without authorisation, failed to arrange cover and exposed colleagues to safety risks. He argued that dismissal was unreasonable given the emergency and his long, unblemished record, and challenged the fairness of the investigation and disciplinary process.
The adjudication officer found that a lesser disciplinary sanction was more appropriate in the circumstances. The officer also found that taking the four employees and failing to report their absence contributed to the company’s decision to dismiss him.