The Workplace Relations Commission recommended €10,000 compensation for a worker whose application for a driver role was assessed on paper using driving and fitness criteria. The recommendation was dated 7 December 2022 under section 13 of the Industrial Relations Act 1969.
The worker said the scoring was unfair and the feedback inadequate. The employer said it applied the shortlisting process consistently and that allowing retrospective entry to the closed competition could be unfair to other candidates. The Commission for Public Service Appointments found the general scoring system had been fairly applied, but identified breaches in the review process and in the use of driving and fitness criteria without practical assessments.
The WRC adjudicator rejected the employer’s jurisdiction objection, finding this was an individual dispute heard alongside similar cases for administrative convenience. The adjudicator said the worker’s driving and fitness marks could not be understood without practical assessment and found the delay in responding to the internal review caused unnecessary stress. The WRC recommended €5,000 for the shortlisting flaws and €5,000 for the delay.