Store manager awarded €350 in each of two employment complaints against Explore Marketing

The Workplace Relations Commission upheld three complaints by store manager Ciara O’Meara against Explore Marketing Ltd, awarding her €350 for a late employment contract and €350 for failing to notify her of a change to her probation terms. The decision was dated 5 September 2023. O’Meara said she received her contract eight months after starting work and that it did not specify her weekly hours. She also complained that the company failed to notify her that her probation period had been extended. The company said lockdown had closed the store until May 2021 and that managers were reviewed after it resumed operations. The officer found the contract was provided late and did not specify weekly hours. That complaint was upheld, but no award was made because the defect was later corrected and the difference between her 40 hour working week and the 39 hour week in her contract was small. The officer also found she should have been notified of the probation change before her September 2021 review, and upheld that complaint, awarding €350.