The Workplace Relations Commission found that a member of the traveller community’s complaint about alleged discrimination and harassment over accommodation was not well founded after the complainant did not attend three hearings; the merits were not decided.
The WRC dated its decision 11 August 2023. Hearings were arranged for October, November and December 2022. The complainant did not attend any of them, and no medical certificate was provided for the absences. The complaint formed part of linked cases brought by members of a Traveller family about accommodation needs.
The adjudicator found that the County Council was the correct respondent because its staff acted under its direction and it was vicariously liable for their actions. The formal decision found the complaint not well founded, but the complainant’s absence meant the allegations were not decided on their merits.