The Workplace Relations Commission found that Deirdre Hayes was constructively dismissed by Boots and ordered the company to pay her €23,500. The decision was dated 4 January 2024.
Hayes worked as a healthcare adviser at the Boots store in Midleton, Co Cork, for more than 15 years. She said she resigned after workplace problems, including grievances she said were not handled properly and a proposed further delay in investigating her individual grievance. Boots denied dismissing her and argued that she had not completed its internal grievance procedures.
The adjudication officer found an oppressive atmosphere, mismanagement and excessive scrutiny. The officer also found that Hayes’s individual and collective grievances were not adequately processed, and that an investigation into her was based on fourth-hand gossip without her being told who had accused her or what the allegation was.
Constructive dismissal is when an employee resigns because the employer’s conduct has made the job untenable. The officer found that Hayes’s work environment affected her health and confidence and considered compensation appropriate. Boots was directed to pay the award within 42 days.