Jozef Rudak was awarded €13,000 for unfair dismissal and €2,600 for minimum notice after the Workplace Relations Commission found Fitzgerald Marine Manufacturing Ltd. had unfairly dismissed him and failed to provide notice. The decision, dated 7 July 2023, also found he was entitled to four weeks’ notice pay.
Rudak, a boat builder, said the company dismissed him after a workplace dispute and did not pay notice. The company did not attend the hearing or file a defence. The adjudication officer found that it had not shown substantial grounds for dismissal and had ignored Rudak’s willingness to meet and discuss his grievance.
Rudak had continued working in his family business, and the €13,000 compensation reflected actual and prospective financial loss. The officer said the evidence on loss and mitigation was not satisfactory and would have preferred a completed loss and mitigation table.