The Workplace Relations Commission dismissed a complaint by Ieva Bukauskaite after Laurel Lodge Nursing Home did not interview her for a housekeeping job because she had a Covid recovery certificate rather than a vaccination certificate.
The WRC decision, dated 9 September 2022, said the home’s interpretation of public health guidance meant Bukauskaite was not interviewed. It found that her belief that the recovery certificate should have been accepted had no religious basis, so it did not qualify as discrimination on the religion ground under the Employment Equality Act.
The adjudicator therefore found the complaint not well founded. The decision did not need to assess whether she received less favourable treatment than others or whether the home’s position was objectively justified.