The Workplace Relations Commission found Rosemarie Quinlan was unfairly dismissed by Spencer Family Holdings Limited and ordered the company to pay her €21,980 in compensation. The decision was dated 16 November 2022.
Quinlan had worked as a secretary from 2010. She said her employer told her by email that her employment would end because of a downturn in business, and that she had not resigned. The company had disputed the dismissal and said she resigned in December 2019. It did not attend the hearing, and the WRC proceeded on the evidence available.
The WRC accepted that Quinlan had not resigned and found she was dismissed. It said there were no substantial grounds or reasonable circumstances supporting the dismissal, and identified a lack of fair procedures and consultation. The award was equivalent to 14 months’ salary and covered actual and prospective financial loss, including payment in lieu of notice, unpaid salary and holiday pay. The WRC was satisfied that Quinlan had tried to reduce her losses in a challenging economic climate.