The Workplace Relations Commission has directed Joseph Freer Transport Ltd to pay former truck driver Krzysztof Bogun €20,000 after finding that his dismissal was unfair. Adjudication Officer Marie Flynn’s decision was dated 28 April 2023.
Bogun had worked for the company since 2006. He challenged his dismissal and also claimed an unpaid redundancy payment. The employer said he had taken leave without adequate notice, including after sick leave, and that his conduct justified ending his employment.
The employer did not attend the reconvened hearing in February 2023. The adjudicator said she could not test its written account and gave it little weight. The employer had to show that it followed fair procedures and had substantial grounds for dismissal, but the adjudicator found it had not met that burden.
The WRC found the unfair-dismissal complaint well founded and directed the €20,000 payment as redress. In setting the amount, the adjudicator considered Bogun’s efforts to find work and his submission that he had missed out on a redundancy payment. The separate redundancy complaint was disposed of following the unfair-dismissal finding and award.