The WRC awarded a warehouse operative €7,000 after finding that his employer discriminated against him on grounds of race. It also directed the distribution company to provide workplace discrimination training. Adjudication Officer Eugene Hanly dated the decision 5 April 2018.
The worker alleged that racial graffiti and a later racial insult were not handled adequately. The company said it removed the graffiti, investigated the later incident and issued an informal warning to the employee responsible. The WRC found the first graffiti incident and the later racist act were connected, so both could be considered. It found a separate incident concerning sexual orientation was outside the time limit and could not be investigated.
The WRC found that the company’s investigation established that the later incident was a racist act, but that an informal warning was not a sufficient response. The company did not tell the worker the disciplinary outcome, hold a general staff meeting after the recurrence, refer to its existing policy or review that policy. The WRC found that the employer had not taken sufficient steps to prevent a recurrence and awarded €7,000 compensation. It directed the company to provide training on discrimination concerning race and sexual orientation, preferably through an external independent body.