The Workplace Relations Commission found that an art teacher was discriminated against on grounds of gender and family status in a recruitment interview, and awarded her €35,000. The decision, dated 2 December 2022, also found that the discrimination had serious effects on her employment and career prospects.
Sarah Adam, whose fixed-term teaching contract ended in August 2020, said the interview for a further role failed to account fairly for her experience and qualifications after maternity leave. The education board denied discrimination and said the other candidate performed better. The WRC found the panel knew about Adam’s pregnancy and maternity leave, and that questions seeking examples from the previous year put her at a disadvantage because that period included protected leave. It also found the board had not explained adequately why the other candidate scored higher in two categories.
The WRC also found family-status discrimination, noting Adam had two young children and the other candidates did not. It found the harassment complaint unsuccessful because the interview questions did not violate her dignity, and the victimisation complaint unsuccessful because there was insufficient evidence the treatment was related to her complaint about the interview. The discriminatory non-renewal encompassed the end of her employment; the WRC made no separate finding of discriminatory dismissal.