The Workplace Relations Commission found that a resource centre unfairly dismissed an employee after a prolonged absence and a stalled workplace investigation. Adjudication Officer Jim Dolan awarded her €3,000, equal to four weeks’ remuneration, in a decision dated 4 May 2018.
The employee said a board member bullied her and that the centre failed to address her complaint. The centre said she did not return to work or respond to repeated requests about her fitness and availability. The adjudicator found both sides could have acted more quickly to arrange an investigation, but the centre’s handling of it was not what a reasonable employer would do. He also found that the centre had decided not to let her return.
She had started a job with a state institution by early December 2016, with no loss of earnings between the jobs and a higher salary in the new role. The adjudicator therefore limited compensation to four weeks’ pay.