WRC finds Ciara Higgins Coyle’s dismissal by Comfort Keepers was fair

The Workplace Relations Commission found Ciara Higgins Coyle’s dismissal by Comfort Keepers was fair and did not uphold her unfair dismissal complaint. The decision was dated 5 January 2023. Comfort Keepers said Higgins Coyle missed scheduled client visits and logged into visits without attending, breaching company policies. She said she left work after her son was hurt at school, contacted the office and forgot to call back about later visits; she disputed attending or logging in to those visits. The adjudicator found there were reasonable grounds to begin disciplinary proceedings and that the employer’s process was fair. The dismissal fell within the range of sanctions a reasonable employer might apply, taking account of the nature of the business.