The Workplace Relations Commission awarded Niamh Clinton €20,000 after finding that Masterchefs Hospitality Limited Masterchefs dismissed her wholly or mainly because of her pregnancy. The WRC decision was dated 11 May 2023.
Clinton began work as director of sales in June 2021 and told the company she was pregnant on 4 November. She said she was dismissed because she disclosed her pregnancy. The company said the dismissal was unrelated, citing sales performance and financial pressure linked to Covid-related measures.
The WRC found no evidence that the company had warned Clinton her performance put her job at risk before she disclosed her pregnancy. It noted that the company began a formal probation process five days after the disclosure, while her later dismissal letter cited financial impact and cancellations rather than underperformance.
The WRC declared the unfair dismissal complaint well founded and directed the company to pay €20,000 in redress. In setting the amount, it considered Clinton’s period of unavailability while receiving maternity benefit, her continuing loss of earnings and what it described as inadequate efforts to mitigate her loss.
The WRC said the statutory limit on compensation constrained the award and that, without that limit, it would have awarded significantly more. A separate Employment Equality Act complaint was withdrawn after Clinton did not respond to a WRC request.