The Workplace Relations Commission found Peter Finn was unfairly dismissed by security company Headway Security Services Ltd and ordered it to pay him €630. The decision was dated 31 August 2023.
Finn had worked for the company since 2004. He argued that he was dismissed after bringing earlier complaints to the WRC and challenging changes to his work. The company said he walked off the job after threatening strike action.
The adjudicator found that, whether Finn was barred from returning or taken off the roster after threatening a one-day strike, the company had not contacted him to clarify the situation or offered him a return. It stopped rostering him without following a disciplinary process.
Finn found a better-paid job almost immediately, limiting his lost earnings. The adjudicator said he had significantly contributed to the breakdown of the employment relationship, citing his extended break, refusal of duties, tearing up a warning letter and threat to picket. The award was reduced by two thirds to €630.