The Workplace Relations Commission found that The Wild Goose Studio (Kinsale) Ltd discriminatorily dismissed Noreen Bouse because of her age and awarded her €5,000. The decision was dated 8 September 2021.
Bouse had worked for the studio since 1994. She said she was told by phone in August 2020 that she was being retired immediately, despite continuing to work under a verbal arrangement after a fixed-term contract. The studio argued that her contract allowed retirement at 66 and that the pandemic had sharply reduced available work.
The adjudication officer found that the studio had selected Bouse for dismissal because of her age and had not justified the decision. The abrupt phone notification aggravated the discriminatory treatment. In setting compensation, the officer also considered the pandemic’s effect on the business and the limited hours likely to have been available to Bouse.