A Workplace Relations Commission adjudicator awarded a quality manager €48,840.32 after finding gender and family-status discrimination following her return from maternity leave. The WRC also awarded her €14,478.46 for breaches of maternity-protection law. Adjudication officer Úna Glazier-Farmer dated the decision 8 March 2023.
The worker said she was not allowed to return to her Group Quality Manager role and was offered a reduced, part-time position. She said her reporting lines changed, her share allocation was reduced, and her role was later limited to the Limerick site. The company did not attend the hearing, and its submissions were not considered.
The adjudicator found that the worker returned to a less favourable job, pointing to the diminished role, changed reporting lines and reduced share allocation. She also found the company had not consulted the worker about what would suit her and had further diluted her role in June 2021. A separate maternity-protection breach arose because the worker was expected to attend Teams meetings and answer work emails while on protective leave. Both complaints were found well founded.