Donatas Ragelis awarded €2,000 after WRC finds he was unfairly dismissed

The Workplace Relations Commission found Donatas Ragelis was unfairly dismissed and awarded him €2,000 in compensation. The decision was dated 30 March 2023. N Smith & Sons Limited Trading as Ford Smiths of Drogheda dismissed Ragelis for alleged gross misconduct after he loaded a boxed car part onto a pickup truck. He said it was a mistake and the part was returned once he realised it was in the box. The company said it considered the removal gross misconduct and that his appeal against dismissal was late. The adjudicator found that the allegations had not been put to Ragelis and that he had not been given a full opportunity to respond. The initial procedure was also not fair and impartial, the decision said. Although Ragelis was found to have been unfairly dismissed, he did not establish financial loss or efforts to limit any loss. The WRC awarded €2,000 as just and equitable compensation.