The WRC awarded a receptionist €46,000 after finding she was sexually harassed and dismissed for discriminatory reasons. The decision was dated 7 March 2018.
The Car Parts Company denied the harassment allegations and said the receptionist was dismissed after failing probation because of performance problems. The WRC found that sexual content on the company’s live chat created a hostile and humiliating work environment, and that the company had not investigated or removed it. It also accepted the receptionist’s account of the owner’s conduct at a Christmas party.
The WRC rejected poor performance as the real reason for dismissal. It found the owner dismissed her because she had rejected his treatment. Her minimum-wage and payment-of-wages complaints were settled and withdrawn at the hearing.
The WRC ordered €46,000 compensation for the distress and effects of the discriminatory treatment, harassment and dismissal. It also directed the company to develop a harassment code of practice and distribute it to staff and managers.