The Workplace Relations Commission awarded Czeslaw Kaminski €8,000 after finding he was subjected to sustained discriminatory harassment with racial and ageist overtones at Ballymaguire Foods Limited. The decision was dated 5 December 2022.
Kaminski said his supervisor humiliated and intimidated him and made offensive remarks about his race and age. The company denied unlawful discrimination and said it had workplace policies, including procedures on dignity and non-discrimination.
The adjudicator accepted Kaminski’s account as credible and found his line manager had subjected him to unacceptable behaviour. The employer was held liable for the manager’s conduct under section 15 of the Employment Equality Act, which makes an employer responsible for certain acts by its employees.
The adjudicator also noted that Kaminski had not raised the comments with senior management while he was still at work, and found that his medical complaints had not been shown to result from the discrimination. The WRC nevertheless found that he had been discriminated against and awarded €8,000 compensation.