The Workplace Relations Commission awarded Sylvia McCann €25,000 after finding her selection for redundancy and dismissal by Irish Whiskey Museum Limited were unfair. The decision was dated 15 September 2021.
McCann, the museum’s operations manager, said she was unfairly selected while the business was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The company said it removed her role as a cost-saving measure. The WRC was not satisfied that the employer had shown the redundancy was genuine or that the selection was fair and transparent.
The adjudication officer noted that the managing director was married to McCann’s sister and described his messages to her as dismissive and contemptuous. The WRC found the employer’s conduct unreasonable. It declined to order reinstatement or re-engagement, saying the relationship had broken down.