The Workplace Relations Commission awarded Zuzana Pompova €2,500 after finding that Ladbroke (Ireland) Limited discriminated against her by denying her a service at a betting shop. The decision was dated 25 July 2022.
Pompova said she was at the shop door while her fiancé went inside to play roulette. She said she heard staff refer to people making a mess and understood the remark to include her. The company denied discrimination, saying service was refused because of her fiancé’s behaviour and that Pompova had not entered the premises.
The adjudication officer found that two other customers were served while her fiancé was not, supporting an inference of discrimination that the company did not rebut. He found that the service was denied because of a stereotype associating Roma people with messiness. Under the Equal Status Act, the officer directed that Pompova’s notification be treated as timely, citing reasonable cause related to the onset of the pandemic and staff working from home. He found prohibited conduct and ordered €2,500 redress for its effects.