The Workplace Relations Commission awarded dentist Min Ling €14,378 for unfair dismissal after finding she was dismissed for making a protected disclosure. In a decision dated 12 May 2023, it also directed The Square Dental Services Limited to pay her €1,000 for illegal deductions from her wages.
Ling said she was dismissed after refusing to accept a proposed salary reduction from the €64,000 specified in her work permit. The company attributed her dismissal to her performance, but the adjudicator found that explanation was not credible and concluded she was dismissed after raising concerns about an attempt to change her permit conditions.
The WRC also found the company had unlawfully deducted €1,000 for her permit application fees. It rejected Ling’s complaints about unpaid overtime and missed rest breaks, finding she had not provided enough detail about when she worked overtime or was denied breaks. Duplicate complaints were dealt with alongside the relevant claims.