The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has found that An Post unfairly dismissed postal sorter Paul Dudgeon over conduct outside work and ordered the company to pay him €5,000 compensation. The decision was dated 13 November 2023.
An Post said its concerns included Dudgeon’s handling of questions about criminal proceedings and the different accounts he gave during the internal process. Dudgeon said the court matters were private and unrelated to his work, and that the company should have considered a lesser sanction.
The adjudication officer found no connection between Dudgeon’s conduct and An Post’s business that would justify dismissal. The officer also found that neither decision-maker considered an alternative sanction and that dismissal fell outside the range of reasonable responses. Under unfair dismissal law, an employer must have a fair reason for dismissal and act reasonably. The €5,000 award was about eight weeks of Dudgeon’s net pay.