WRC awards Robert Januszewski €2,492.28 after finding Lidl dismissal unfair

The WRC found Lidl Ireland GMBH unfairly dismissed Robert Januszewski and awarded him €2,492.28 in compensation in a decision dated 24 May 2022. Januszewski, a long-serving store assistant, admitted switching off a freezer unit for a few minutes and not wearing the required protective equipment. He said dismissal was disproportionate and alleged that it was influenced by a complaint about his line manager. Lidl said his conduct breached food safety requirements and that dismissal followed a fair disciplinary process. The adjudication officer found no evidence that the grievance influenced the disciplinary process. But given Januszewski’s long service, clean disciplinary record and the one-off nature of the incident, the officer concluded that a final written warning would have been sufficient and that no reasonable employer would have dismissed him.